Paris-based Astraveus, which makes modular, microfluidic cell foundries for cell and gene therapy (CGT) manufacturing, completed an oversubscribed €16.5 million ($18.1 million) series seed financing led by AdBio partners, co-syndicated with M Ventures, Johnson & Johnson Innovation (JJDC), and Bpifrance Large Venture.
Astraveus’ Lakhesys™ platform, an end-to-end cell foundry that uses process optimization and single-use, microfluidic bioprocessors, “removes the need for large-scale infrastructure, reducing costs and processing time, and overcoming the logistical challenges associated with CGT manufacturing,” says Jérémie Laurent, the company founder and CEO, who adds that the recently completed financing will allow Astraveus to advance the development of its technology and expand the team.
“At the innovative core of Lakhesys are microfluidic bioprocessors, which mimic organ perfusion and significantly accelerate the molecular exchanges needed to sustain and transform cells into potent therapeutic agents,” continues Laurent. “The high degree of precision and miniaturization enabled by microfluidic bioprocessors allow more efficient manufacturing, reducing labor, floor space, and energy requirements, thereby generating less waste and making the process far cheaper and greener.”
According to Laurent, the CGT market has received considerable investment—an average of >$18 billion per year since 2020, but the high per patient cost of up to $2M has been a brake on both development of new therapies and deployment of those already identified.
“By minimizing the changes between process development and the clinic, and offering an immediate modular scalability, Lakhesys saves critical time and cost, and has the potential to transform both clinical research and manufacturing of approved products, accelerating the adoption of CGTs,” maintains Laurent.
