Cellipont bags investment from OrbiMed to complete Texas plant

Cellipont Bioservices will use the strategic debt facility investment from healthcare investment firm OrbiMed to finish its Texas plant.

Cellipont Bioservices, previously known as Performance Cell Manufacturing, after being acquired by private equity firm Great Point Partners in January 2022 said the investment from OrbiMed will fully finance its cell therapy facility in The Woodlands, near Hosuton, Texas.

The financial details of the investment have not been disclosed. However, the San Diego-based contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) announced its plans in August 2022 to build the 76,000 square-foot commercial-ready plant.

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“We are energized by this partnership with OrbiMed, which helps us to bring this world-class facility to completion in 2023,” said Deborah Wild, CEO of Cellipont.

“Once completed, Cellipont will be uniquely positioned to offer technically superior, highly-responsive outsourced contract development and GMP manufacturing services to innovative cell therapy companies. OrbiMed understands our vision, has a unique portfolio of life science companies, and was the ideal partner for Cellipont in this journey.”

The facility, which broke ground in November 2022, will include capabilities for process and analytical development, as well as production services for induced pluripotent stem cells (IPSCs), chimeric antigen receptor T-cells (CAR-Ts), and other types of cell therapies. The CDMO claims OrbiMed’s support will mean customers can make use of its cleanrooms, technology, and knowledgeable workforce.

“OrbiMed is excited to partner with Cellipont for their continued growth. Cellipont’s scientific expertise, state-of-the-art facilities, and unique capabilities were apparent to us throughout our debt process, and we believe the Company is well prepared to capitalize on future demand as the cell and gene therapy CDMO market continues to grow and evolve,” Matthew Rizzo, general partner of OrbiMed, said.