Cellares, Mitsui Fudosan plan Japan’s first IDMO Smart Factory for commercial-scale cell therapy

Cellares, in partnership with Mitsui Fudosan, is establishing Japan’s first Integrated Development and Manufacturing Organization (IDMO) Smart Factory for cell therapies. The new facility, under construction in Kashiwa City, will enable commercial-scale production of CAR-T and other advanced cell therapies using Cellares’ automated technology platforms.

The factory will deploy Cellares’ Cell Shuttle, which automates cell therapy manufacturing, and the Cell Q, which automates quality control, aiming to reduce batch costs by up to 50% and eliminate bottlenecks seen with manual CDMO operations. Once complete, the site is expected to employ 350 people and significantly streamline cell therapy manufacturing in the region. Cellares says the facility will also enable seamless tech transfer between its sites globally.

“Cellares’ new facility in Kashiwa City will enable our pharma clients to supply Japan from Japan,” said Fabian Gerlinghaus, co-founder and CEO of Cellares. “Our Japanese IDMO Smart Factory is part of a broader strategy to be a global manufacturing partner for our clients and meet the total patient demand for cell therapies around the world.”

According to the company, localizing production will simplify logistics and reduce vein-to-vein time, helping drugmakers meet growing demand across Japan and neighboring countries. The factory’s automation is designed to accelerate both the delivery and development of cell therapies, potentially improving timelines for regulatory approvals and commercial availability.

The new facility is part of Cellares’ broader strategy to build a global network of IDMO Smart Factories. In addition to New Jersey and Japan, other sites are under development in Europe. Mitsui Fudosan, which plays a key role in Japan’s life sciences ecosystem, is supporting the initiative as part of its long-term vision to help drive innovation in healthcare infrastructure.

Cellares has five large pharma companies as customers — two of which, Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) and Gilead’s Kite, have been publicly disclosed — as well as smaller biotechnology companies such as Caballeta Bio and Lyell Immunopharma.

In April 2024, Cellares announced a worldwide capacity reservation and supply agreement with BMS — worth up to $380 million — which will utilize its proprietary Cell Shuttle platform for the clinical and commercial-scale manufacturing of select CAR-T cell therapies.