Aruvant Sciences, a private company focused on developing gene therapies for rare diseases, has chosen Lonza to manufacture ARU-1801, a potentially curative treatment for sickle cell disease, for a pivotal trial.
Aruvant is building a hybrid supply model that is led by the company’s cell and gene therapy scientists and leverages specialized external suppliers.
The company has expanded the internal technical and operational organization with experts in vector and cell manufacturing, analytics, quality, supply and regulatory affairs.
To complement the internal capabilities, Aruvant is partnering with world-leading contract development manufacturing organizations. The strategic long-term manufacturing agreement with Lonza is a critical step to advancing the clinical development of ARU-1801 for sickle cell patients.
Under Aruvant’s direction, Lonza has begun process development and technology transfer activities from its Houston center of excellence to help establish robust manufacturing for ARU-1801. Once complete, Lonza will deliver cGMP material supply for the pivotal clinical trial.
Palani Palaniappan, Aruvant Chief Technology Officer, said: “Our internal cell therapy process expertise combined with Lonza’s cell processing know-how provide the perfect combination to manufacture ARU-1801 for our pivotal study.
“As we advance our gene therapy through clinical trials, this partnership signifies a critical milestone in the development pathway.”
