Project aims to Upscale CGT Manufacturing

The Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult and Autolomous, a market leading developer of critical manufacturing management systems for cell and gene therapies, have been awarded a joint £1.2 million grant by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), as part of the “Digitalisation and Automation of Medicines R&D and Manufacture” funding competition.

The grant from Innovate UK, part of UKRI, will be used to help advanced therapy developers and advanced technology providers expedite the process of introducing and integrating new systems and technologies into cell and gene therapy manufacturing, to drive a step change in manufacturing productivity and patient access.

The joint project is expected to deliver blueprints that will outline the key challenges and considerations experienced and also demonstrate the benefits of leveraging digitalisation to automate data collection in order to enable streamlined batch certification and release.

Alexander Seyf, Chief Executive Officer of Autolomous, said: “Partnering with the CGT Catapult will enable us to demonstrate how we can leverage Process Analytical Technologies to simplify, optimise and accelerate the manufacturing of cell and gene therapies. Our AutoloMATE® platform will be deployed at­­­ CGT Catapult's Braintree Manufacturing Innovation Centre to deliver significant innovations, maximising manufacturing productivity and removing bottlenecks through automation and digitisation, while reducing the costs of goods to increase patient access to these life-saving therapies."

Matthew Durdy, Chief Executive of the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, commented: “Digital technologies, like the AutoloMATE® platform from Autolomous, have significant potential to improve the efficiency and reduce the cost of manufacturing cell and gene therapies. This is vital to ensure gene therapy manufacturers can remain competitive in the race to bring these life-changing therapies to more patients.”

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