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PRESS RELEASE
16 January 2024
Press Release
Media Contacts:
IB Communications
CellQuest launches Early Access Program with first CosyNest automated CAR-T manufacturing partner
New program gives partners a first look at the CosyNest platform for rapid, scalable CAR-T manufacturing ahead of commercialization, with data supporting CellQuest’s regulatory master files
Besançon, France, January 16, 2024 – CellQuest, a developer and manufacturer of automated chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell production platforms and solutions, today announces the launch of its Early Access Program (EAP) to introduce the CosyNest manufacturing platform to cell therapy developers. CosyNest, a closed manufacturing system, has been designed to dramatically increase the production of CAR-T cells per person, and per unit area.
CellQuest emerged from stealth last year following a EUR 2.7 million (USD 2.9 million) investment round. After five years of R&D, CosyNest is poised to broaden access to CAR-T therapies by increasing manufacturing throughput by 30x, at a tenth of the cost. The new funding supports rollout of the EAP. During the EAP, CellQuest will test the entire CAR-T cell production process on its site, using the raw materials requested by the partner, and provide a full report on the cells obtained. Once the results are satisfactory, a machine will be installed at the partner's site for full evaluation of the biological performance and general ergonomics of the system.
The first participant has already committed to joining the program, and multiple companies have expressed interest in accessing CosyNest through the EAP, which can accommodate ten simultaneous participants in the runup to commercialization next year. CellQuest is especially interested in participants in close proximity to one another, to enable efficient monitoring of tests and processes.
“CAR-T cell therapy is one of the most promising treatments in the fight against life-threatening illnesses, with remarkable success against some of the most aggressive cancers and the potential to treat even more in the future. However, mass production remains a roadblock in getting them to the patients who need them,“ said Guillaume Wallart, CEO, CellQuest. “The Early Access Program will enable partners to use the CosyNest to bring costs down and increase yields. These tests will ultimately allow the CosyNest to make CAR-Ts as accessible as they should be for patients.”
The first EAP partner testing in CosyNests will begin this summer.
About CellQuest
CellQuest is a developer and manufacturer of automated cell production platforms and solutions, starting with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells. The company was founded by CEO Guillaume Wallart in 2020, and features a team with decades of experience in commercializing biological processes.
CellQuest recently raised EUR 2.7 million (USD 2.9 million) from private and institutional investors in a seed round that included UI, Angelor and RD-Biotech, to accelerate development of its CostNest platform. The company also received early support from with support from the FEDER MiMédi Project and the French government through a bioproduction AMI, and is planning a Series A round to support platform commercialization. CellQuest is headquartered in Besançon, France.
For more information, visit cellquest.fr.
About CosyNest
CellQuest’s CosyNest platform has been designed to enable cell production with reduced labor and space requirements. First unveiled at Advanced Therapies Europe in September 2023, CosyNest has been developed as a compact, closed system with predosed and filled consumables to minimize human intervention and footprint in manufacturing facilities. As a result, CosyNest can manufacture up to 6,000 CAR-T cell therapy doses per year in less than 100 square feet – 15 times the throughput of today’s standard production, and at a fraction of the cost. Select cell and gene therapy developers and CDMOs can preview CosyNest this year through an Early Access Program (EAP), with full market access starting in 2025.