Rentschler pulls out of CGT businessRentschler pulls out of CGT business

CDMO Rentschler Biopharma announced its withdrawal from advanced therapy production at its facility in Stevenage, UK, citing unsatisfactory growth in the sector.

The site has offered analytical services, process development, and GMP manufacturing for CGTs, and in September 2024, the company installed a lentiviral vector (LVV) manufacturing toolbox for CGT applications.

“As an innovation leader, we continuously evaluate new approaches to meet the needs of our clients and their patients,” said Benedikt von Braunmühl, CEO of Rentschler Biopharma. “The CGT market has experienced slower-than-expected growth, with demand across the industry not meeting our expectations.”

He said that the company performed a comprehensive strategic review and has since decided to focus on areas of greater demand. “Biologics remain central to our operations, while we continue to evaluate other potential modalities, leveraging our expertise and long track record of delivering the exceptional quality and service our clients rely on.”

Adam Inche, CEO of biotechnology company Lintitek commented on LinkedIn that the news is “a real blow for CGT in the UK.” He added, “My thoughts are with the whole Stevenage team at this time.”

Said von Braunmühl, “The dedication and performance of our Stevenage-based team has been exceptional, and I would like to thank everyone for their valuable contributions. We are committed to supporting the affected employees by providing resources and assistance during this transition period.”

A number of biopharma companies have faced post-COVID challenges in the CGT space. In 2023, Lonza reported headwinds in the sector, but its most recent 2025 report delivered positive results, with a 1.1% sales increase compared with the previous year.

Meanwhile, WuXi Apptec sold its cell therapy unit in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Altaris earlier this year, credited in part to anxieties over the stalled BIOSECURE Act, which if passed into law would restrict certain named Chinese companies from receiving funding from the US government.

During Biotech Week Boston in September 2024, industry experts discussed difficulties in CGT development that have led to problems with funding. Renee Hart, president and chief business officer of cell analysis technology company LumaCyte, pointed to a lack of robust analytics as a problem that damaged the market for advanced therapies. “It's actually very sad, because I don't think CGT developers [in the past] would have failed if they had better analytics – if they could understand the business outcome above and beyond viability and cell count.”