OXB launches fast-track viral vector manufacturing service

Oxford Biomedica Solutions (OXB), a UK-based contract development and manufacturing organization, announced the launch of a fast-track development and manufacturing service designed to accelerate viral vector production for cell and gene therapy programs.

The offering provides an expedited pathway to GMP manufacturing for adeno-associated viral (AAV) and lentiviral vectors, targeting biotech companies with time or funding constraints. According to OXB, the service can reduce AAV development timelines from approximately 15 months to as little as seven months, and lentiviral vector timelines from 12 months to 18 months to about nine months.

OXB said the accelerated timelines are enabled by platform-based approaches, including plug-and-play systems, use of existing datasets, as well as integration of upstream and downstream processes such as vector design, production, purification, and fill-finish. These efficiencies are intended to reduce development steps while maintaining performance and scalability.

The fast-track program also incorporates in-house analytical development and qualification to support faster progression to GMP manufacturing, according to the company. The offering is aimed at addressing bottlenecks in viral vector development that can delay clinical readiness and regulatory milestones.

The launch builds on recent manufacturing expansions, including a multi-year agreement to produce lentiviral vectors for CAR-T programs and the acquisition of a commercial-scale viral vector facility in Durham, North Carolina, which added end-to-end manufacturing capabilities in the United States.