The two companies announce a worldwide strategic partnership to develop and optimize platform processes using best-in-class technologies for the production of custom viral vectors.

Belgium and Guangzhou, China – Univercells Technologies, a provider of novel biomanufacturing technologies for flexible and scalable viral vector production, has formed a worldwide strategic partnership with VectorBuilder, a global leader in vector design, optimization and manufacturing. Univercells Technologies will work with VectorBuilder’s manufacturing center in Guangzhou, China to develop and optimize platform processes using best-in-class technologies for the production of custom viral vectors for cell and gene therapies as well as vaccine applications.

With rapid advances in cell and gene therapy in recent years as well as intensified interests in recombinant viral vaccines brought on by COVID19, the demand for custom viral vectors, especially GMP-grade vectors, has significantly increased. Yet traditional manufacturing technologies lack the cost-effectiveness and scalability to accommodate this growing demand. With this partnership, both companies aim at combining capabilities, services, and existing technologies to develop a portfolio of optimized viral vector manufacturing protocols maximizing customers’ performance and commercialization success.

“We are extremely pleased to partner with Univercells Technologies to co-develop optimized, scalable and customizable solutions for fast and affordable production of viral vectors. This partnership is an important step in VectorBuilder’s ambition to become a global leader in high performance commercial-scale biomanufacturing”, says Dr. Jason Ye, Vice President of Biomanufacturing of VectorBuilder.

“We are very excited to partner with VectorBuilder, a global pioneer in custom viral vector manufacturing,” stated Mathias Garny, CEO of Univercells Technologies. “With the complementarity of both companies’ expertise and know-how, we can maximize the benefits of our manufacturing technologies and offer an unparalleled solution for integrated continuous manufacture for VectorBuilder’s customers.”

Both the scale-X bioreactors portfolio and the NevoLine Upstream platform offer high-performing production capacities while drastically reducing footprint and costs. The scale-X hydro (2.4 m2) and carbo (10 and 30 m2) bioreactors are a great asset for accelerating process development and supporting clinical validation. Complemented by the NevoLine™ Upstream platform with integrated scale-X nitro (200 and 600 m2) bioreactor the comprehensive technology range offered by Univercells Technologies enables a seamless transition to commercial manufacture.

The scale-X hydro and carbo systems and the NevoLine Upstream platform are employed for process optimization in VectorBuilder’s state-of-the-art GMP Process Development facility in Guangzhou, China for intensified and continuous vector manufacturing at commercial scale.

Special thanks to the General Consulate of Belgium in Guangzhou, China and AWEX for supporting us in organizing the signing ceremony.