Akron BioProducts and Vor Bio to Collaborate on the Development and cGMP Manufacture of Nucleases

Rhea-AI Summary

Vor Bio (NASDAQ: VOR) has entered into a significant agreement with Akron BioProducts to develop and manufacture cGMP nucleases. This partnership aims to enhance Vor Bio's capabilities in engineering gene-modified cell therapies for blood cancers. The collaboration supports both companies' strategic investments in advanced manufacturing facilities, expected to improve production efficiency. Vor Bio's new clinical manufacturing site in Cambridge, MA, anticipated to be operational in 2022, will facilitate the development of its eHSC and CAR-T product pipeline.

Positive

• Strengthens Vor Bio's gene editing technology and manufacturing capabilities.
• Expected operational clinical manufacturing facility in Cambridge, MA, in 2022.
• Enhanced global supply chain through collaboration with Akron.

Negative

• No immediate financial metrics or projections provided in the PR.

BOCA RATON, Fla. & CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Akron BioProducts, a leading manufacturer of cGMP-compliant technologies for cell and gene therapy, and Vor Bio (Nasdaq: VOR), a clinical-stage cell and genome engineering company, today announced an agreement to develop and manufacture cGMP nucleases.

This collaboration strengthens Akron’s portfolio of off-the-shelf gene editing technologies while broadening Vor Bio’s collection of nucleases to engineer gene modified cell therapies. Vor Bio continues to strategically invest in its proprietary manufacturing capabilities for its engineered HSC and CAR-T programs. The companies will collaborate in the development and manufacture of starting materials needed to advance potentially transformative treatments for blood cancers into the clinic.

“We are delighted to partner with the Vor Bio team, who share our patient-centered focus, leveraging Akron’s strengths in custom cGMP recombinant biologics to help accelerate Vor Bio’s pioneering treatment approach for blood cancers,” explained David Smith, President and Chief Commercial Officer at Akron BioProducts. “Collaborations like this are why we are developing a state-of-the-art cGMP facility for gene therapy and vaccine production to raise the bar on quality and safety.”

“This partnership with Akron strengthens and diversifies our global supply chain as we build out our new clinical manufacturing facility in Cambridge, MA, which we expect to be operational in 2022,” said Brent Morse, Vice President, Head of Process and Analytical Development at Vor Bio. “The facility will support both our eHSC and CAR-T product pipeline and will maximize flexibility while reducing the time and cost to manufacture cell therapy clinical candidates. The collaboration with Akron nicely complements this capability.”

About Akron

Akron BioProducts is a leading materials manufacturer and services provider to the regenerative medicine industry. An ISO 13485-certified company operating in line with cGMP guidelines and international standards, Akron leverages 110,000 square feet of development and manufacturing capacity to provide advanced therapy developers the scale, compliance, and regulatory support necessary to drive novel treatments from discovery to commercialization. For more information, please visit www.akronbiotech.com.

About Vor Bio

Vor Bio is a clinical-stage cell and genome engineering company that aims to change the standard of care for patients with blood cancers by engineering hematopoietic stem cells to enable targeted therapies post-transplant. For more information, visit: www.vorbio.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220322005300/en/

Akron

Robert Margolin

media@akronbiotech.com

Vor Bio

Sarah Spencer

+1 857-242-6076

sspencer@vorbio.com

Source: Akron BioProducts

FAQ

What is the collaboration between Vor Bio and Akron BioProducts about?

Vor Bio has partnered with Akron BioProducts to develop and manufacture cGMP nucleases, enhancing their gene-modified cell therapy capabilities for blood cancers.

When is Vor Bio's new clinical manufacturing facility expected to be operational?

The new clinical manufacturing facility for Vor Bio in Cambridge, MA, is expected to be operational in 2022.

How does the collaboration benefit Vor Bio's product pipeline?

The collaboration will support Vor Bio's eHSC and CAR-T product pipeline, improving production efficiency and flexibility.

What technologies are involved in the agreement between Vor Bio and Akron?

The agreement focuses on developing cGMP nucleases, which are crucial for gene editing in cell therapy.