The cell and gene therapy contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), which specializes in lentiviral and retroviral vector manufacturing, said the latest phase of the buildout sees additional process development, analytical development, and quality control labs as well as GMP cell banking and GMP vector manufacturing suites with an expanded GMP warehouse at the facility.
The move is in response to increased lentiviral and retroviral GMP vector demand, it added.
The continued investment in the Fishers facility allows Genezen to increase delivery of cGMP lentiviral and retroviral vectors from adherent and suspension processes supporting both transient transfection and producer cell line vector manufacturing platforms.
This capacity also expands the CDMO’s current cGMP capabilities for host cell expansion and host cell banking.
Funds to support new biologics drug substance GMP expansion in Oklahoma
Meanwhile Wheeler Bio, a CDMO specializing in small batch clinical production of biologics and GMP-grade reagents, announced the first closing of its Series A financing round.
The investment was co-led by Charles River Laboratories and Echo Investment Capital with participation from ATUM, Floating Point Advisors, Plains Venture Partners (a subsidiary of i2E), and Pine Ridge Ventures.
The proceeds of the funding will be used to expand Wheeler’s drug substance GMP manufacturing facility in the Ziggurat building in Oklahoma City.
The company and the strategic investors backing it believe that a different CDMO model is needed to help innovators reach their clinical milestones faster.