Pluri expands cell therapy capabilities into CDMO space

Israeli firm Pluri will use its 47,000 square-foot facility to support the contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) business – PluriCDMO – offering customers early preclinical development through late-stage and commercialization cell therapy services.

“The new CDMO business works perfectly with our strategy to leverage our advanced cell expansion platforms to develop, manufacture and market highly effective cell-based products and solutions that enhance global wellbeing and promote sustainability,” Yaky Yanay, Pluri’s president & CEO told BioProcess Insider.

“As we continue to advance our pipeline in collaboration with our partners, now, we open our doors and welcome cell therapy clients to give their cells a better chance of success, working with PluriCDMO.”

Pluri – previously known as Pluristem – has worked in the cell therapy field for over 20 years and will leverage its scalable manufacturing platform for the culture of a variety of cell types in its CDMO business. As Yanay said, “we have cultivated a wealth of experience and knowhow in process and analytical development, process scale-up, validation, logistics and automation.”

The move to build out a CDMO business is not due to a shortage of cleanroom facilities though, we were told. Instead, Pluri has identified an increasing demand for knowledgeable and skilled teams proficient in advancing cell therapy from point-of-care (POC) to late-stage clinical development and commercialization.

“PluriCDMO can accelerate the development and manufacturing efforts of our partners and reduce the development risks. Our experienced team and assets are strategically positioned to establish a CDMO division, offering tangible value to our clients and delivering an unparalleled level of service in this rapidly expanding market,” said Yanay.

Pluri is not the first cell therapy developer to use its manufacturing heritage as a third-party for others. In 2021, cell therapy pioneer Novartis officially launched its Global Biotech Cooperations (GBTC) division, offering its global capacity to others in the industry effectively as a CDMO. Meanwhile Dendreon, which – through Provenge (sipuleucel-T) – first won US approval for an autologous cell therapy back in 2010, relaunched its business as a CDMO in 2021.