Avalon GE partnership looks to automate and accelerate CAR-Ts

Avalon GloboCare has teamed with GE Healthcare to establish automated and standardized cell production capabilities to support its cellular immunotherapy programs.

Under terms of the deal, clinical stage biotech Avalon will access bioprocess vendor GE Healthcare’s FlexFactory Cell Therapy platform to develop a production infrastructure for its pipeline of Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T cells and other immune-effector cells for cellular immunotherapy.

Avalon will also gain access to GE’s FastTrak process development and training services, as well as its extensive SOP and validation protocol library.

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“User training will be conducted both at GE Healthcare and on-site at Avalon’s Nanjing Epicon GMP facility with access to GE Healthcare’s expert bio-manufacturing resources,” the firms said.

“In conjunction with Avalon’s extensive clinical network in China, this strategic partnership will empower Avalon to improve manufacturing throughput and efficiency, alleviate cost burden, and minimize variability in the automated and standardized bio-production process of clinical-grade cellular products, therefore, accelerating the development of Avalon’s clinical and commercialization programs in cellular medicines.”

Avalon’s lead program AVA-001 entered the clinic this month. Trials of the CD19 CAR-T candidate will take place at the Hebei Yanda Lu Daopei Hospital and Beijing Lu Daopei Hospital in China, which, according to the firm, is the world’s single largest CAR-T treatment network.

The firm has three other candidates approaching the clinic, including transposon-based, multi-targeted CAR-T candidate, AVA-101, and engineered mesenchymal stem cell oral cancer candidate AVA-201.

David Jin, CEO of Avalon, said it is a “crucial and exciting time in the evolution of cellular medicines” and that the partnership with GE will help to “more fully leverage and integrate our core technology platforms and accelerate our clinical programs.”

He said: “Empowered by GE’s leading automation and standardized cell processing/bio-production capabilities, we look forward to further upgrading our infrastructure, services and products, as well as expanding our leadership role in cellular medicines.”

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