Cellares and Sonoma Biotherapeutics Team Up on Automated Treg Cell Therapy Manufacturing

A major breakthrough in cell therapy has been announced, as Cellares and Sonoma Biotherapeutics are working together to automate the manufacturing process for SBT-77-7101, an engineered regulatory T cell (Treg) therapy. This treatment is currently undergoing Phase I clinical trials for patients with poly-refractory rheumatoid arthritis (RA), who have exhausted all available options.

Sonoma Biotherapeutics has developed a highly advanced Treg program that’s being translated onto Cellares’ commercial-scale Smart Factory platform. The company operates its first such facility in Bridgewater, New Jersey, and is building more sites in Europe and Japan to meet growing demand.

‘Tregs are uniquely sensitive to the manufacturing process,’ says Stephen Dilly, PhD, president, CEO, and board chair of Sonoma Biotherapeutics. He believes that Cellares’ platform will help his company deliver on its clinical ambitions at scale for patients with RA. The partnership aims to make sure every batch is reliable.

Fabian Gerlinghaus, co-founder and CEO of Cellares, notes that ‘every new cell therapy modality we bring to the Cell Shuttle and Cell Q expands what’s possible for the field and for patients in need.’ He emphasizes his company’s commitment to partnering with other organizations to advance innovative therapies.

The partnership is a crucial step towards automating Treg cell therapy manufacturing. Sonoma Biotherapeutics’ SBT-77-7101 has shown promise as a treatment option for patients with RA, and this collaboration aims to bring it closer to clinical success.