MaSTherCell wins Iovance deal as commercial cell therapy demand increases

Cell therapy CDMO MaSTherCell will produce late-stage clinical supply of an adoptive cell therapy for Iovance Biotherapeutics from its facility in Belgium.

Iovance has selected MaSTherCell S.A., a cellular therapy-focused contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) and subsidiary of Orgenesis, to manufacture an adoptive cell therapy using its tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) product as it goes into late-stage trials in Europe.

The manufacturing will take place from MaSTherCell’s plant based in Belgium, which according to a spokesperson from the CDMO is fully prepared to produce late-stage and commercial cell therapies.

“MaSTherCell already has a deep expertise on the technologies required for Iovance’s project,” the firm told BioProcess Insider.

The company did not divulge the financials of the deal nor the exact capabilities offered at the plant, located in Charleroi, near Brussels.

Expanding services

Regarding the EU market, MaSTherCell told us it is “anticipating the increasing need for commercial manufacturing,” but the firm has also been looking to the US and Asia as it ramps up its service offering.

In July, MaSTherCell announced an investment of up to $25 million (€22 million) to launch manufacturing operations in the US. The partnership with health care investment firm

Great Point Partners (GPP) came six months after MaSTherCell was rebranded as the global CDMO for regenerative medicine service and research company Orgenesis.

And in parallel, MaSTherCell has additional capabilities in Korea through its relationship with fellow Orgenesis subsidiary Curecell Co.