Cobra Biologics, a CDMO focused on viral vector drug substance production, and Symbiosis Pharmaceutical Services, a CMO specializing in the sterile manufacture of injectable viral vector drug products, reported the successful completion of their collaboration to develop synergistic capabilities.
Intended to accelerate the clinical and commercial production of viral vectors, which represent part of the burgeoning Advanced Therapeutics Medicinal Product (ATMP) drug development space and the growth of personalized medicine, the 18-month joint project saw a combined investment of £4.8m including significant support from a grant received under the U.K. government’s Innovate UK Health and Life Sciences Program.
The collaboration significantly increases both companies’ existing commercial capacity and simplifies the supply chain process for the manufacture of viral vectors for use in gene therapy and immunotherapy, said Peter Coleman, CEO of Cobra. By aligning the technical expertise and manufacturing capabilities of Cobra and Symbiosis, the complexity, time, and risk of viral vector manufacturing projects will be greatly reduced meaning that customer companies developing viral vector ATMPs can derive their own competitive value from accelerating their progression along the drug development critical path, he added.
“The Innovate UK grant has enabled Cobra and Symbiosis to form a close partnership to provide a seamless viral vector service to the global community for both clinical and commercial supply,” continued Coleman. “In conjunction with Symbiosis, we have now helped to establish the U.K. as a world leader in this exciting field.”
“The strategic focus of Innovate UK in proactively supporting the development of a supply chain which aligns multiple service providers, such as Symbiosis and Cobra, to specifically enhance their joint means to facilitate the development of viral vectors and other ATMPs here in the U.K., is not only astute but will generate tangible value which will benefit the U.K., the CDMOs receiving grants alongside their respective clients, and ultimately the patients most in need of those innovative medicines,” added Colin MacKay, CEO of Symbiosis.
