With Cytiva’s FlexFactory biomanufacturing platform, Genepeutic Bio, a leader in Thailand’s life sciences sector, has established the first GMP-certified cell therapy manufacturing facility in Thailand.
The 600 sqm facility is located at Innovation Cluster II in Pathum Thani province.
Genepeutic Bio aims to bring chimeric antigen receptor-T (CAR T) cell therapies to a few hundred patients with relapsed and refractory blood cancers such as acute lymphoid leukemia (ALL) in Thailand and Southeast Asia by 2025. The company has also applied for Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for this treatment and hopes to receive approval by end of 2024.
Cytiva’s comprehensive solution solidifies our position as a trusted industry service provider within Thailand and in Southeast Asia
- Dr Parin Rattananon, CEO of Genepeutic Bio
The research and development of cell and gene therapies, such as CAR T cell therapies, is gaining visibility in Thailand.
In late April 2023, Thailand Center of Excellence for Life Sciences (TCELS), the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation, the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), the Board of Trade of Thailand, and the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion (OSMEP), have announced a combined effort to elevate the life science industry as one of the country’s top growth pillars and propel Thailand to become a high-value medical and health hub.
Dr Parin Rattananon, CEO of Genepeutic Bio, said: “Cytiva’s comprehensive solution solidifies our position as a trusted industry service provider within Thailand and in Southeast Asia. This enhanced manufacturing capability will allow us to meet Thailand’s domestic healthcare demands and bring us one step closer to realising our vision of providing novel treatment for all.”
Premnath Mandalapu, Commercial General Manager, ASEAN, Cytiva, added: “Developing and manufacturing new therapies requires flexibility, speed, agility, and scale. It also requires having access to GMP (good manufacturing practice) capable engineers to navigate the certification process. Our FlexFactory platform addresses those requirements and is trusted by customers, with more than 100 installations around the world. Now in Thailand for the first time, our FlexFactory will enable Genepeutic Bio to bring the next generation of medicines to patients in Thailand and Southeast Asia who need them most.”
Data from Cytiva’s 2023 Global Biopharma Resilience Index shows that having better access to biopharma talent will facilitate progress in Thailand. 32% of respondents in Thailand, compared to the average of 59% of respondents globally, are positive about having access to GMP-capable talent.
Cytiva’s FlexFactory biomanufacturing platform includes cell therapy instrumentation, qualification and documentation packages, project management consulting and training services, and the Chronicle automation software platform. It provides an integrated, scalable solution for acceleration and translation to GMP manufacturing, and takes approximately nine months to install and validate.