Thermo Fisher, Xcell Biosciences join forces to advance next generation of cell therapies

Instrumentation company Xcell Biosciences has announced a strategic collaboration with Thermo Fisher Scientific to advance research in regulatory T cells (Tregs) and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) to combat autoimmune and solid tumor diseases.

“While significant progress has been made in the cell therapy space leveraging Chimeric Antigen Receptor T (CAR T) cells, this collaboration aims to advance Treg and TIL cell therapies,” according to the announcement. “With solid tumors representing approximately 90% of adult cancers and instances of autoimmune diseases on the rise worldwide, this collaboration looks to target a crucial area for improving global health.”

The partnership aims to streamline cell therapy workflows, while improving scalability and reproducibility in cell therapy manufacturing. According to Xcellbio, its commercial instruments and software allow researchers to discover novel insights into immune and tumor biology, enabling the translation of these insights at patient scale through the development of its cGMP cell therapy manufacturing platform.

“By leveraging our AVATAR cell therapy manufacturing platform, we aim to push the boundaries of what is possible in cell and gene therapy,” Shannon Eaker, chief technology officer at Xcell Biosciences, said in a statement.

Andy Campbell, senior director of research and development at Thermo Fisher, said in a statement that “Xcellbio’s interest in utilizing our Gibco CTS Detachable Dynabeads platform” within Thermo Fisher’s “modular, closed and automated cell therapy manufacturing workflow is a testament to the strength of our technologies.”

Campbell added that the companies are confident that the collaboration “will significantly shorten and enhance the manufacturing workflow for cell therapies in this space.”