Cellectis, a developer of adoptive immunotherapies based on engineered allogeneic CART cells, and CELLforCURE, a subsidiary of the French biopharmaceutical firm LFB Group, said Monday they had entered into an agreement for the manufacturing of clinical batches of Cellectis’ allogenic CART Cells.

According to the agreement, CELLforCURE will be responsible for producing candidates from Cellectis' UCART product family.

The candidates from UCART (for Universal Chimeric Antigen Receptor - T cells) are allogeneic cell therapy products based on the CAR (Chimeric Antigen Receptor) technology combined with genome engineering. Engineered allogeneic T-lymphocytes bearing a CAR are directed at tumor antigens and help to treat various forms of leukemias, lymphomas and solid tumors, the Paris-based Cellectis said.

UCARTs are special in that they are "off-the-shelf" allogeneic products. The manufacture of UCARTs can be industrialized and standardized, with consistent pharmaceutical release criteria, over time and from batch to batch. Future patients can be treated by receiving a single dose of a standard product with consistent quality, the company added.

Such treatments have a favorable cost profile that makes them available to a broad patient population. The products can also be shipped in advance and would be accessible to any cancer center in the world, Cellectis noted. — Kellen Owings

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