Catalent Acquires Commercial-Scale Cell Therapy Development & Manufacturing Facility From Erytech  

Catalent recently announced it has acquired from Erytech Pharma its state-of-the-art, commercial-scale cell therapy manufacturing facility in Princeton, NJ, for $44.5 million. The deal includes an exclusive long-term supply agreement for Catalent to support Erytech’s lead product candidate eryaspase (GRASPA), a red blood cell-derived product, which is currently in late-stage development for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

The 30,900-sq-ft facility is located within the University Square Campus Park and houses 16 suites positioned for production of products in a cGMP-compliant manner, as well as laboratories for analytical, quality control and microbiology testing. The site will become a strategic campus for development as well as clinical- and commercial-scale manufacturing of cell therapies, and is located within easy reach of Catalent’s facilities around Baltimore, MD, where the company develops and manufactures viral vectors and plasmid DNA. It will also work in collaboration with Catalent’s existing US clinical-scale cell therapy facility in Houston, TX.

Concurrent with the acquisition, Catalent has agreed to terms to lease an adjacent 23,000-sq-ft building that could be used for additional laboratory or cGMP capabilities, and another building on the campus for potential future expansions. All staff at the site will transfer to Catalent’s employment, and Catalent is developing its plans for its future recruitment needs.

Under the supply agreement, Catalent will continue to manufacture eryaspase (GRASPA) at the site. It will also support the development of Erytech’s pipeline of encapsulated red blood cell-based therapeutics for severe forms of cancer and orphan diseases.

“This acquisition is strategically important to Catalent’s commitment to support the development and clinical and commercial supply of cell therapies to meet rapidly growing demand,” said Manja Boerman, PhD, President, Catalent Cell & Gene Therapy. “The talented and experienced staff already employed at the facility, the capabilities it has in place, and the opportunity to quickly add further capacity on the same site, allow Catalent to expand rapidly to create a U.S. campus and center of excellence for cell therapy development and manufacturing that will serve customers around the world.”

“In Catalent we have found a great partner for the manufacturing of our innovative red blood cell-derived products,” said Gil Beyen, Chief Executive Officer at Erytech. “Catalent Cell & Gene Therapy is an industry-leading technology, development, and manufacturing partner for advanced therapeutics, and we believe this win-win strategic partnership will meet our long-term manufacturing needs in the United States. Erytech will now further focus its resources on seeking regulatory approval of GRASPA and on the development of potentially transformative therapeutics for serious diseases.”

Catalent’s cell and gene therapy network includes six US facilities across Maryland and Texas, a European center of excellence in Belgium, and its cell innovation facility in Germany. These sites offer a range of small- and large-scale clinical and commercial manufacturing, as well as fill/finish capabilities.

 Catalent Cell & Gene Therapy is an industry-leading technology, development, and manufacturing partner for advanced therapeutics. Its comprehensive cell therapy portfolio includes a wide range of expertise across a variety of cell types including CAR-T, TCR, TILs, NKs, iPSCs, and MSCs. With deep expertise in viral vector development, scale-up and manufacturing for gene therapies, Catalent is a full-service partner for plasmid DNA, adeno-associated viral (AAV), lentiviral and other viral vectors, oncolytic viruses, and live virus vaccines. An experienced and innovative partner, Catalent Cell & Gene Therapy has a global network of dedicated, small- and large-scale clinical and commercial manufacturing facilities, including an FDA-licensed viral vector facility, and fill/finish capabilities located in both the U.S. and Europe.

 Catalent is the global leader in enabling pharma, biotech, and consumer health partners to optimize product development, launch, and full life-cycle supply for patients around the world. With broad and deep scale and expertise in development sciences, delivery technologies, and multi-modality manufacturing, Catalent is a preferred industry partner for personalized medicines, consumer health brand extensions, and blockbuster drugs.

Catalent helps accelerate over 1,000 partner programs and launch over 150 new products every year. Its flexible manufacturing platforms at over 50 global sites supply over 70 billion doses of nearly 7,000 products annually. Catalent’s expert workforce exceeds 19,000, including more than 2,500 scientists and technicians. Headquartered in Somerset, NJ, the company generated $4 billion in revenue in its 2021 fiscal year. For more information, visit www.catalent.com.