Scorpius Holdings Announces Collaboration with Celltheon Corporation, a U.S.-Based Cell Line Development Company; First Client Signed Under New Partnership Agreement

Rhea-AI Summary

Scorpius Holdings (NYSE American: SCPX) has announced a partnership with Celltheon to provide cell line development services using Celltheon's proprietary GOLDILOCKS™ transposase-based platform. The collaboration enables clients to work with Scorpius' program management team while preparing to transfer research cell banks to their San Antonio facilities for biomanufacturing. Celltheon will also offer additional services including antibody discovery and comparability studies. The partnership has already secured its first client who plans to scale up to GMP manufacturing with Scorpius.

Positive

• Secured first client under new partnership agreement
• Expanded service offerings through Celltheon's proprietary platform
• Integration of cell line development with existing GMP manufacturing capabilities

Negative

• None.

Insights

Biotech Industry Analyst

This strategic partnership significantly enhances Scorpius' competitive position in the CDMO market. The collaboration with Celltheon's GOLDILOCKS™ platform provides crucial early-stage development capabilities, creating a more complete service offering from cell line development through to GMP manufacturing. The immediate signing of their first client validates the market demand.

The partnership addresses two critical market needs:

• Supply chain security through U.S.-based operations
• Seamless transition from development to manufacturing

For early-stage biotechs, this integrated approach can potentially reduce development timelines and costs while maintaining IP protection. The focus on U.S.-based operations is particularly valuable given recent global supply chain concerns and increasing demand for domestic manufacturing capabilities.

Market Research Analyst

This deal strengthens Scorpius' market positioning in the rapidly growing CDMO sector, which is projected to maintain double-digit growth rates. The partnership creates a more comprehensive service offering that can capture larger portions of client projects, potentially increasing revenue per customer. Most notably, the focus on early-stage biotechs and academic researchers opens access to a growing market segment with significant funding availability.

The ability to offer integrated services from cell line development through manufacturing positions Scorpius to compete more effectively against larger CDMOs while maintaining flexibility for smaller clients. This could lead to increased market share and improved facility utilization rates, particularly at their Texas GMP facility.

DURHAM, N.C., Nov. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Scorpius Holdings, Inc (NYSE American: SCPX) (“Scorpius” or “the Company”), an integrated contract development and manufacturing organization ("CDMO"), today announced a partnership with Celltheon Corporation to provide cell line development services to clients using Celltheon’s proprietary GOLDILOCKS™ transposase-based platform.

This collaboration enables clients to integrate with Scorpius’ program management team and quality system while preparing to transfer a research cell bank (RCB) to the Company’s facilities in San Antonio, TX, for further biomanufacturing work. In addition to full-scale cell line development services, Celltheon offers Scorpius clients services in antibody discovery, variant screening and development, and comparability studies. The first client signed under this partnership aims to scale up to GMP manufacturing with Scorpius.

Jeff Wolf, CEO of Scorpius, commented, “We are excited to collaborate with Celltheon, a partner that shares Scorpius’ mission to deliver responsive, high-quality, flexible services to early-stage biotechs and academic researchers. This partnership allows our clients to secure their supply chain and intellectual property by working with Celltheon, a California-based company, and then transferring their high-expressing, stable cell line to our state-of-the-art GMP facility in Texas to continue manufacturing.”

“We look forward to helping Scorpius clients overcome their early development challenges so they can seamlessly move to GMP activity. Together, Celltheon and Scorpius are committed to ensuring that the next generation of biotherapeutics get to patients faster and more affordably,” added Divya Goel, VP of Business Development and Board Member at Celltheon.

Celltheon

Celltheon develops leading edge technologies and innovative solutions for the next generation of biotherapeutics. Celltheon offers platformed and custom end-to-end solutions for drug developability, cell line development, and process development to its clients, to bridge the gap between early drug development and manufacturing. For more information, please visit www.celltheon.com.

Scorpius Holdings, Inc.

Scorpius Holdings, Inc. is an integrated contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) focused on rapidly advancing biologic programs to the clinic and beyond. Scorpius offers a broad array of analytical testing, process development, and manufacturing services to pharmaceutical and biotech companies at its state-of-the-art facilities in San Antonio, TX. With an experienced team and new, purpose-built U.S. facilities, Scorpius is dedicated to transparent collaboration and flexible, high-quality biologics biomanufacturing. For more information, please visit www.scorpiusbiologics.com.

Forward-Looking Statement

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "may," "should," "potential," "continue," "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," and similar expressions, and include statements such as collaboration enabling clients to integrate with Scorpius’ program management team and quality system while preparing to transfer a research cell bank (RCB) to the Scorpius facilities in San Antonio, TX, for further biomanufacturing work; the partnership allowing Scorpius clients to secure their supply chain and intellectual property by working with Celltheon and then transferring their high-expressing, stable cell line to the Scorpius state-of-the-art GMP facility in Texas to continue manufacturing; delivering responsive, high-quality, flexible services to early-stage biotechs and academic researchers; helping Scorpius clients overcome their early development challenges so they can seamlessly move to GMP activity and ensuring that the next generation of biotherapeutics get to patients faster and more affordably Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, among others, the ability of the Company to derive the anticipated benefits from the partnership including expanding the services to be provided; the Company’s ability to expand its large molecule biomanufacturing CDMO services, attract new customers, profit from its pipeline and continue to grow revenue; the ability to capture a meaningful market share; the ability to generate meaningful cash flow and become cash flow positive; the Company’s financing needs, its cash balance being sufficient to sustain operations and its ability to raise capital when needed, the Company’s ability to leverage fixed costs and achieve long-term profitability; the Company’s ability to obtain regulatory approvals or to comply with ongoing regulatory requirements, regulatory limitations relating to the Company’s ability to successfully promote its services and compete as a pure- play CDMO, and other factors described in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Qs and any other filings the Company makes with the SEC. The information in this presentation is provided only as of the date presented, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this presentation on account of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law.

Media and Investor Relations Contact
David Waldman
+1 919 289 4017
ir@scorpiusbiologics.com

FAQ

What services will Scorpius Holdings (SCPX) offer through its Celltheon partnership?

Through the partnership, Scorpius will offer cell line development services using Celltheon's GOLDILOCKS™ platform, along with antibody discovery, variant screening, development, and comparability studies.

Has Scorpius Holdings (SCPX) secured any clients through the Celltheon partnership?

Yes, Scorpius has signed its first client under the partnership agreement, who plans to scale up to GMP manufacturing with Scorpius.

Where will Scorpius Holdings (SCPX) conduct the manufacturing operations for the Celltheon partnership?

The manufacturing operations will be conducted at Scorpius' GMP facilities in San Antonio, Texas.