The deal will see Penn scientists work with Wuxi Apptec on scalable GMP production at Wuxi’s 145,000 sq ft facility at the Navy Yard in Philadelphia, currently under construction.
“Advances in the technology of gene transfer developed at the University of Pennsylvania have ushered in an era of exciting translational research in gene therapy” said the director of the Gene Therapy Program and the Orphan Disease Center within the Perelman School of Medicine at Penn.
James Wilson continued, “A critical step toward successful commercialization of these products is the development of processes and analytics for scalable production of vectors.”
AAV and lentiviruses
Pennsylvania’s Gene Therapy Program focuses on developing gene vectors derived from recombinant viruses, especially novel adenoassociated virus (AAV) vectors, although some of the work involves adenoviruses and lentiviruses. The research is aimed at orphan and infectious diseases.
“We are delighted to partner with the University of Pennsylvania to provide an integrated solution for cGMP viral vector manufacturing to advance the many exciting clinical programs underway,” said Felix Hsu, Senior Vice President of Wuxi’s US Operations.
“The ability to deploy advanced analytical tools, an ongoing technical collaboration, and application of the knowhow developed at Penn and in Dr Jim Wilson’s laboratory will be particularly valuable as we expand our clinical and commercial manufacturing of AAV vectors here in Philadelphia.
The partnership is the result of work by the Penn Center for Innovation (PCI), the University’s commercialization organization, which is builds strategic partnerships with the private sector.