Oxford Biomedica and Novartis extend lentiviral vector manufacturing agreement

The new agreement extends to 2028 and allows Oxord Biomedica to work with other potential partners across all CAR-T targets

Back in 2014, Oxford Biomedica licensed its LentiVector platform — a lentiviral-based gene delivery system — to Novartis in the field of CAR-T.

This was followed by a five-year commercial supply agreement, which the two companies signed in December 2019.

The two companies have now extended the terms of their agreement to the end of 2028 which will see Oxford Biomedica work on multiple CAR-T programs with Novartis, including Kymriah — a gene therapy product for treating two types of blood cancer .

Through the agreement, Oxford Biomedica has also regained the rights to its LentiVector platform relating to three CAR-T targets, including CD19-targeted therapies, which will help the company to maximise its ability to serve a larger proportion of the lentiviral vector market.

The company hasn't been slow to respond with its newly acquired rights as it has also signed a new licence and supply aggrement with Arcellx — a Gaithersburg MD-based biotechnology company developing novel, adaptive and controllable cell therapies for the treatment of patients with cancer and autoimmune diseases.

Furthermore, Oxford Biomedica has also been granted additional flexibility in ordering of GMP batches across its multiple GMP facilities, meaning it no longer has a minimum order commitment.

According to John Dawson, Chief Executive Officer of Oxford Biomedica, this flexibility will allow the company to react to the "rapidly growing dtnamics of of the commercial CAR-T sector".