Partnership targets manufacturing bottlenecks in gene therapies

As gene and cell therapies evolve toward increasingly complex genetic designs, the ability to manufacture high-quality viral vectors at scale is becoming a critical bottleneck in development.

A new collaboration between Lentitek and ViroCell Biologics aims to address this challenge by combining advanced lentiviral vector engineering with specialist GMP manufacturing expertise. The partners will work together to improve the production of lentiviral vectors used in gene-modified cell therapies, including CAR-T approaches that require larger and more sophisticated genetic payloads.

Lentitek, based in Edinburgh with operations in London, develops technologies designed to improve the quality, safety and manufacturability of lentiviral vectors. These vectors are widely used as delivery systems in advanced cell and gene therapies currently progressing through clinical development.

ViroCell Biologics, a London-based CDMO, specialises in the design, optimisation and GMP manufacturing of viral vectors. The company has completed around 200 GMP manufacturing batches and works closely with developers to design vectors that are more efficient to produce at clinical and commercial scale.

Under the agreement, Lentitek will contribute its vector engineering technologies, including design support for transfer plasmids and laboratory-scale testing, alongside licensed access to its production platform. ViroCell will integrate these capabilities into its manufacturing workflows to improve output and reliability for increasingly complex constructs.

Speaking about the collaboration, Dr Adam Inche, CEO of Lentitek, said the partnership reflects a growing industry need to adapt manufacturing processes to match therapeutic complexity.

ViroCell’s Nicholas Ostrout, VP of Commercial Development and Corporate Strategy, added that early-stage vector design is increasingly central to ensuring efficient GMP production, particularly as developers demand larger payloads and more complex gene constructs.

The collaboration highlights a broader shift in the sector: as therapeutic ambition grows, manufacturing capability is emerging as a decisive factor in whether next-generation cell and gene therapies can reach the clinic at scale.

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