Erytech Pharma has signed a deal to sell its New Jersey factory to CDMO giant Catalent for $44.5 million.
The two shook on an agreement that stipulated Catalent would acquire the French biotech's manufacturing facility in Princeton, New Jersey. In return, Catalent will enter an exclusive longterm supply agreement to support Erytech’s lead product candidate eryaspase, which will be marketed under the brand name Graspa. Graspa is a therapy derived from red blood cells aimed at treating acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
There will be no jobs cut, as Catalent plans to keep all Erytech staff on following the transition, according to the CDMO.
The acquisition is an important step for Catalent as the Somerset, New Jersey-based company looks to expand its clinical and commercial supply of cell therapies to meet growing demand, said Manja Boerman, president of Catalent Cell & Gene.
The factory, which comes in at 30,900 square feet, was designed with flexibility in mind and can expand production to support several different cell therapies at once. In the future, Catalent is looking to expand the site and make it its main U.S. campus.
The deal also helps Erytech, as the company looks to extend its cash into 2024. The sale will help the company focus its resources on getting approval for Graspa and developing other treatments, said Gil Beyen, CEO at Erytech.
Catalent’s cell and gene therapy network includes six U.S. facilities across Maryland and Texas, a European center of excellence in Belgium, and a cell innovation facility in Germany.
