PAT boon! Rentschler, CGT Catapult, Refeyn team on AAV processes

Learnings from a three-way collaboration addressing efficiency of viral vector production will translate into process analytical technologies (PAT) improvements for its customers, says Rentschler.

Contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) Rentschler Biopharma is combining its expertise with the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult – a UK-based advanced therapy incubator and collaborator – and analytical instruments firm Refeyn to address difficulties and inefficiencies in the manufacturing of adeno-associated viruses (AAV).

The two-year project hopes to develop a digitized and automated manufacturing platform for AAVs, used – it is suggested – in the production of over 65% of gene therapies in development.

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According to Rentschler, the collaboration “will improve understanding and control of the AAV manufacturing process and help to increase process yield, process robustness and process scale-up while keeping product quality attributes under control.”

If successful, the spokesperson added the project will be applied across the full biomanufacturing process and passed on to customers.

“The project focusses on PAT during the upstream process. Learnings from that will directly be translated into the Rentschler upstream manufacturing platform process and help optimize productivity for production on behalf of our clients,” we were told.

“The learnings will also help to implement PAT technologies into our downstream process. We will also explore the applicability of some key aspects for other viral vectors.”

The project will be carried out at the CGT Catapult’s location in Stevenage, UK. Rentschler set up shop at the site in 2021.

The project has been funded through a ‘Digitalisation and automation of medicines R&D and manufacture’ grant from Innovate UK.