Cellares and ProTgen Automate Manufacturing of Progenitor T-Cell Therapy for Blood Cancer

Cellares, an Integrated Development and Manufacturing Organization (IDMO) that combines automated manufacturing platforms with global Smart Factory infrastructure, and ProTgen, a therapeutic company pioneering targeted Notch activators to reactivate the thymus and reconstitute the adaptive immune system, have announced a partnership to automate manufacturing and quality control of ProT-096, ProTgen’s personalized progenitor T-cell therapy for patients with refractory leukemia and other hematologic malignancies. In this collaboration, Cellares will apply the company’s Cell Shuttle and Cell Q platforms to ProT-096 while providing regulatory support toward IND submission.  

Fabian Gerlinghaus, co-founder and CEO of Cellares, says hematologic malignancies have waited too long for cell therapy to deliver on its promise, with manufacturing complexity being one of the main bottlenecks. ProT-096 represents “exactly the kind of innovative program” for which Cellares was founded. 

“Early-stage developers should not have to choose between advancing their science and securing the manufacturing foundation they need to scale,” said Gerlinghaus. “By automating the manufacturing process and providing regulatory expertise toward IND submission, we can help ProTgen move faster and with greater confidence toward the clinic.” 

Patients with refractory hematologic malignancies often face a compromised immune system following intensive treatment. While ProT-096 mandates precision manufacturing at scale, achieving the reproducibility, process consistency, and cost efficiency needed to support clinical development requires advanced manufacturing approaches. 

Cell Shuttle’s automated, end-to-end manufacturing workflow reduces manual touchpoints, minimizes variability, and enables standardized execution across runs, equipment, and facilities. Combined with Cell Q, the workflow is designed to meet the demands of clinical- and commercial-scale production while maintaining quality standards for GMP manufacturing. The partnership also adds personalized progenitor T cells to Cellares’ platform capabilities across CAR T-cell therapies and HSC programs. 

ProTgen’s proprietary targeted Notch activator platform programs cell fate both in vivo and ex vivo. The company’s initial focus is to reactivate the thymus and rebuild a diverse, functional immune repertoire for patients with compromised or aging immune systems. 

Carter Cliff, CEO of ProTgen says ProT-096 represents a new approach to immune reconstitution, with the potential to address a significant unmet need for patients whose immune systems have been severely compromised by hematologic malignancy and prior treatment. 

“This partnership allows us to pair our targeted Notch activator platform with an automated, scalable manufacturing foundation designed to support the path toward IND submission and, ultimately, clinical development,” he said. 

The post Cellares and ProTgen Automate Manufacturing of Progenitor T-Cell Therapy for Blood Cancer appeared first on GEN - Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News.