Gamma Biosciences and Lonza Collaborate to Co-develop Reagents for Clinical Cell Selection in the Cocoon® Platform

STATE COLLEGE, Pa., Oct. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Gamma Biosciences, a leading provider of tools and technologies for cell and gene therapy manufacturing, through their BioMagnetic Solutions business, today announced a strategic collaboration with Lonza. Under the multi-year agreement, BioMagnetic Solutions will supply its proprietary research and cGMP manufacturing grade FerroSelect™ reagents to Lonza for use in developing CAR-T and other immunotherapeutic products using Lonza's Cocoon^® Platform.

"We are looking forward to working together with the team at Gamma Biosciences to offer cell and gene therapy developers added cell selection functionality on the Cocoon^® Platform" said Adam Bryan, Vice President of Personalized Medicines at Lonza. "The BioMagnetic Solutions ferrofluid technology provides efficient, high-performance cell selection reagents for research, clinical, and commercial-scale cell separations in a workflow that can be easily integrated into our automated, closed-system Cocoon^® manufacturing platform. This collaboration speaks to Lonza's commitment to expanding the flexibility and functionality of our automated manufacturing technology to address a broader range of needs for the cell therapy industry."

"We are thrilled to collaborate with Lonza in further developing and adapting FerroSelect reagents for use with the Cocoon^® Platform," said Phil Vanek, Chief Technology Officer at Gamma Biosciences. "The Lonza platform can be an alternative to our FerroSelect Array cell selection platform, demonstrating that our proprietary reagents can be applied to other automated manufacturing technologies. The agreement gives BioMagnetic Solutions technical direction on new applications, and access to some of the best process developers in the industry. In return, Lonza gains early access to certain BioMagnetic Solutions FerroSelect reagents to complement the growing demand for their Cocoon^® Platform technology."

Ted Liberti, Chief Commercial Officer at BioMagnetic Solutions concluded, "This is an exciting time for us. In late 2021, we achieved ISO 9001:2015 and 13485:2016 certification for our Quality Systems through NQA and have been working steadily to build out an extensive repertoire of cell specific antibodies. The alignment with Lonza helps both companies contribute to expanding access to therapeutic cell selection capabilities across the market with space to grow to meet evolving customer needs."

The collaboration between Gamma Biosciences and Lonza provides a framework for additional clinical grade reagents to be developed. It also opens up the possibility of other collaborations as Gamma Biosciences expands its portfolio of tools and technologies supporting the bioprocessing, vaccine, cell and gene therapy industries.

About BioMagnetic Solutions
BioMagnetic Solutions develops advanced ferrofluid-based immunomagnetic cell selection systems for clinical and commercial applications. BioMagnetic Solutions' product platform leverages proprietary magnetic ferrofluids that enable superior performance as compared to existing immunomagnetic cell separation systems. Visit www.BioMagneticSolutions.com to register interest.

About Gamma Biosciences
Gamma Biosciences is a leading life sciences company providing products and services to support the development and manufacturing of advanced biologic therapies. Our operating companies are committed to advancing the science and art of bioprocessing by delivering market-ready innovation and expertise that helps our customers. Gamma Biosciences encompass biopharmaceutical companies, contract developers and manufacturing companies. Our goal is to safely bring therapies to patients quickly and efficiently. Gamma is a global company with offices and major manufacturing facilities in North America, the U.K. and Belgium.

About Lonza
Lonza is the preferred global partner to the pharmaceutical, biotech and nutrition markets. We work to enable a healthier world by supporting our customers to deliver new and innovative medicines that help treat a wide range of diseases. We achieve this by combining technological insight with world-class manufacturing, scientific expertise and process excellence. Our unparalleled breadth of offerings enables our customers to commercialize their discoveries and innovations in the healthcare industry.

Founded in 1897 in the Swiss Alps, today, Lonza operates across five continents. With approximately 16,000 full-time employees, we comprise high-performing teams and individual talent that make a meaningful difference to our own business, as well as to the communities in which we operate. The company generated sales of CHF 5.4 billion with a CORE EBITDA of CHF 1.7 billion in Full-Year 2021. Find out more at www.lonza.com.

Follow @Lonza on LinkedIn 
Follow @LonzaGroup on Twitter

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1918664/Gamma_Lonza_ID_d7c79ef3f332_Logo.jpg