GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Miltenyi Biotec have formed a strategic collaboration that will bring together GSK's expertise in developing cell- and gene-therapy-based treatments with Miltenyi Biotec's position in cell processing and related technologies in cell therapy. The collaboration seeks to optimize the manufacture and delivery of these personalized therapies using increased automation and advanced processing technology.

GSK is building a cell and gene therapy R&D platform to underpin development of therapies in oncology and rare diseases, two of its core research areas.

Through the collaboration, Miltenyi Biotec will engage with GSK to integrate greater automation and high-tech processing technology into GSK's current cell and gene therapy R&D manufacturing capabilities. The goal is to use this increased automation to further industrialize cell and gene therapy, overcoming the manufacturing and scale-up constraints associated with current, more manual cell and gene-therapy processes. This could reduce the costs and geographical barriers associated with this treatment approach, speed development of therapies, and support their potential beyond rare diseases and limited populations.

The collaboration will also bring together the technology and expertise of both companies to advance the discovery of new CAR (chimeric antigen-receptor) T-cell based therapeutics or cells that have been engineered to target and destroy cancer cells by strengthening a patient's natural T-cell response. GSK and Miltenyi Biotec will collaborate on defined CAR-T oncology targets and on the development of advancements in technologies in this space that may be further applied by both companies. This collaboration supplements GSK's existing CAR-T preclinical portfolio.

Source: GlaxoSmithKline