Cellares, a pioneering cell therapy manufacturer based in South San Francisco, has introduced a unique concept in the industry with its self-coined acronym IDMO, signifying “integrated development and manufacturing organization.” This revolutionary approach has attracted substantial investor interest, as evidenced by the company’s recent funding success.
In an impressive move, Cellares has just announced securing $255 million in a series C investment round. This funding injection is earmarked for the completion of the company’s expansive cell therapy manufacturing facility located in Bridgewater, New Jersey. Notably, this influx of funds follows a previous series B round in 2021 that garnered $82 million, effectively bringing Cellares’ total funding to an impressive sum of $355 million.
Taking the lead in this financing round is Koch Disruptive Technologies, whose Managing Director, David Mauney, will join Cellares’ board. A strategic player in this investment is Bristol Myers Squibb, a significant entity in the cell therapy field, boasting approval for two treatments (Abecma and Breyanzi) and a robust pipeline of three others.
The significance of Cellares’ innovative approach lies in its response to the limitations of conventional CDMOs (contract development and manufacturing organizations) in terms of cost, scalability, and reliability in the realm of cell therapy manufacturing. Cellares positions itself as the first IDMO, addressing these challenges and empowering cell therapy companies to flourish in a competitive landscape while catering to the urgent needs of growing patient populations.
“Cell therapies have tremendous curative potential across a wide range of diseases. But right now, manufacturing by conventional CDMOs is expensive, failure-prone, and impossible to scale. Cellares is driving transformation in the marketplace by combining an Industry 4.0 approach with full vertical integration. As the first IDMO, Cellares is empowering cell therapy companies to build viable businesses, remain competitive, and meet the needs of fast-growing patient populations.”
– David Mauney, managing director of Koch Disruptive Technologies
Cellares’ New Jersey facility spans an impressive 118,000 square feet and is designed to accommodate the production of 40,000 cell therapy batches annually—a remarkable tenfold increase in productivity compared to traditional CDMO facilities. Through the implementation of compact automation, the company has achieved a remarkable 90% reduction in labor and facility size required to produce the same volume of batches. This innovative platform is aptly named Cell Shuttle.
The New Jersey site is projected to house 50 Cell Shuttle modules, each operating as a self-contained factory platform. Leveraging advanced automation, these modules facilitate the transformation of patient cells into the final infusion-ready product, streamlining the manufacturing process significantly.
“The creation of the first IDMO marks the beginning of a new era, in which cell therapies will finally be able to reach those in need. We’ve developed integrated technologies for the entire drug development and manufacturing life cycle. Now we’re leveraging these technologies to offer global manufacturing services for the living drugs of the 21st century. Our partners are some of the best academics, biotechs, and large pharma companies in the world. We’re enabling them to meet total patient demand, improve consistency and quality, lower manufacturing costs, and accelerate expansion to new markets.”
– Cellares CEO Fabian Gerlinghaus
Anticipated for the second half of 2024, the New Jersey facility is poised to become a game-changer in the field. In the interim, Cellares’ headquarters will serve as a hub for preclinical process development and technology transfer, paving the way for seamless integration into the Cell Shuttle platform. This headquarters-based facility is scheduled for completion in the first half of the coming year. Excitingly, Cellares also has plans for a third manufacturing plant, based in Europe, although its location remains undisclosed.
The series C investment round boasts participation from DFJ Growth and Willett Advisors, in addition to existing investors such as Decheng Capital, Eclipse, and 8VC. With this funding boost, Cellares is positioned to reshape the cell therapy manufacturing landscape, underlining its commitment to innovation, efficiency, and advancing patient care.
