NEW YORK – Galapagos said Monday that it has partnered with NecstGen, a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), to support decentralized manufacturing of Galapagos' cell therapy products.
Under the agreement, Leiden, Netherlands-based NecstGen will use some of its cleanroom infrastructure to support the manufacturing of Galapagos' CAR T-cell therapies. The firms did not disclose financial details about the collaboration.
"By combining our state-of-the-art infrastructure with Galapagos' decentralized cell therapy approach, we aim to provide capacity and support for decentralized manufacturing and make transformative therapies more accessible to patients who need them," NecstGen CEO Paul Bilars said in a statement.
Galapagos, based in Mechelen, Belgium, is developing cell therapies for blood cancers and solid tumors. Its lead candidate, the CD19-directed autologous CAR T-cell therapy GLPG5101, is being studied in a Phase II trial in relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The firm's oncology pipeline also includes cell therapies for chronic lymphocytic leukemia, multiple myeloma, and head and neck cancer.
In January, Galapagos partnered with another CDMO, Catalent, to use its commercial cell therapy manufacturing facility to produce GLPG5101 for clinical trials in New York, New Jersey, and nearby areas.
Also last month, Galapagos said it planned to split into two companies, one that develops innovative medicines through strategic transactions and another that will continue to advance oncology cell therapies. Because of the split, Galapagos said it had to cut 40 percent of its employees in Europe, or roughly 300 positions, and close a site in France.