Novartis offers to acquire CellforCure

Proposed acquisition will expand manufacturing capacity for innovative cell and gene therapies.

Under the proposed agreement, Novartis would acquire the share capital of CellforCure from LFB including the cell and gene manufacturing facility located in Les Ulis and the related adjacent land. If the offer is accepted, CellforCure would become a wholly owned Novartis manufacturing site, joining the network of cell and gene therapy sites including Morris Plains, New Jersey, USA and Stein, Switzerland, where construction continues to progress as planned.

In July 2018, Novartis signed an agreement with CellforCure to produce CAR-T cell therapies including Kymriah (tisagenlecleucel), the first CAR-T cell therapy approved by the FDA and indicated for two distinct, difficult-to-treat cancers in the US, European Union, Switzerland, Canada and Australia. Novartis and CellforCure have successfully completed technology transfer and Kymriah clinical supply production is expected to begin by mid-2019. The proposed acquisition of CellforCure is another example of continued commitment by Novartis to investing in cell and gene therapies as well as in France.

Novartis has made several steps recently to strengthen and expand its cell and gene manufacturing, including signing a strategic licensing, collaboration and share purchase agreement with Cellular Biomedicine Group (CBMG) to manufacture and supply Kymriah in China; expanding an alliance with the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany to support manufacturing for clinical trials and post-approval manufacturing; and a contract manufacturing collaboration in Japan.

Novartis Global Head of Technical Operations Steffen Lang said: "The proposed acquisition of CellforCure is another strategic step in our pursuit of additional manufacturing capacity to make our transformational CAR-T cell therapy Kymriah available to more patients in need around the world. If completed, this acquisition also would potentially increase manufacturing capacity for other cell and gene therapies in the Novartis pipeline. We are excited about the possibility of adding the significant experience of CellforCure to our existing leadership in pioneering research, development and supply of cell and gene therapies."