Major Development Agreement brings US Subsidiary to UK

The Cell Therapy Catapult (CTC) has signed an agreement with Asterias Biotherapeutics Inc. to advance development of a large scale manufacturing processes for AST-VAC2, Asterias’ allogeneic dendritic cell immunotherapy. AST-VAC2 is currently being developed towards a Phase I/II trial in lung cancer in collaboration with Cancer Research UK.

As a part of the agreement the company will be opening a UK subsidiary and employing staff based in the UK. Providing Asterias with the ability to effectively collaborate with the Cell Therapy Catapult and other major partners, the UK subsidiary will also play a critical role in contributing to the development of the AST-VAC2 platform and maximising its value.

“International partnerships are critical for the further development of the UK cell and gene therapy industry. The Cell Therapy Catapult has been instrumental in attracting Asterias, a leading US quoted cell therapy company to the UK,” said Keith Thompson, CEO, the Cell Therapy Catapult. “This is an example of how our core platform projects, which aim to overcome major industry challenges, can be leveraged to promote growth of the UK industry.” 

“The establishment of a subsidiary in the UK provides Asterias with the ability to effectively collaborate with the Cell Therapy Catapult at a low cost in the medium term while providing a base from which to grow our AST-VAC2 platform and maximise its value,” said Pedro Lichtinger, chief executive officer, Asterias.

 “This collaboration with the Cell Therapy Catapult allows Asterias to accelerate its development of manufacturing processes that will be compatible with the commercial needs of our cell based products,” said Katy Spink Ph.D., chief operating officer, Asterias. “The collaboration also enhances our strategic relationships in the UK, an environment which facilitates and supports the development of regenerative medicine products.”