BrightPath Bio and Cellistic Announces Process Development and Manufacturing Collaboration for Phase 1 Clinical Trial of iPSC-derived BCMA CAR-iNKT cell
BrightPath Bio (Tokyo Stock Exchange Growth 4594, “BrightPath”), a pioneer in iPS cell-derived Natural Killer T (“NKT”) cell therapy, and Cellistic, a leader in advanced iPS cell therapy manufacturing, today announced a process development and manufacturing agreement to advance BrightPath’s novel allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy platform, utilizing iPSC-derived NKT cells for clinical trials.
The strategic collaboration includes the use of Cellistic's innovative 3D bioreactor-based manufacturing platform, Echo, to enable GMP-compliant, clinical-scale manufacturing of iPSC-derived BCMA-targeting CAR-NKT cells for Phase 1 multiple myeloma trial; establishing BrightPath as a first mover in this emerging field.
“The use of NKT cells as effectors in allogeneic CAR-T therapy represents a promising strategy, offering not only direct cytotoxicity but also indirect anti-tumor activity through the priming of host CD8+ T cells—a mechanism expected to evade host immune rejection and to enhance the durability of clinical responses. However, achieving clinical-scale manufacturing of such a rare subset of T cells while preserving their original functionality has conventionally been a significant challenge. Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell technology has overcome this barrier, making large-scale production feasible,” stated Ken Nagai, CEO of BrightPath.
“While we have established a robust 2D culture-based manufacturing process, we have recognized the importance of anticipating the full scalability potential of the iPS cells from commercial perspective at an early stage. To address this need, we are committed to implement more scalable manufacturing solutions. Cellistic is well-positioned to meet this critical requirement with their unique 3D platform and extensive experiences in iPSC differentiation and scale-up of a variety of cell types,” Ken Nagai further noted. “We are delighted to partner with Cellistic, which has the most experience in culturing iPS cells using 3D bioreactors. This collaboration with Cellistic allows us to leverage their state-of-the-art development and manufacturing capabilities to accelerate the development of our BCMA CAR-NKT product.”
“We are excited to partner with BrightPath in the development of their revolutionary iPSC derived cell therapy,” said Gustavo Mahler, CEO of Cellistic. “Our Echo manufacturing platform is designed to meet the unique challenges of cell therapy production, ensuring scalability, quality, and regulatory compliance. Together, we can advance the therapeutic potential of BCMA CAR-NKT cells and help BrightPath to bring innovative solutions to patients in need.”
The agreement marks a significant step forward in the industry’s pursuit of innovative and effective cell therapies, with both companies committed to advancing healthcare solutions that improve patient outcomes.
About BrightPath Biotherapeutics
BrightPath is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel cancer immuno-therapies to transform cancer treatment for refractory or progressive cancers that cannot be treated with conventional standard therapies. BrightPath is actively involved in developing cell therapies, currently in clinical trials, and immunomodulatory antibodies.
For more information, visit www.brightpathbio.com/English
About Cellistic
Cellistic® specializes in process development and manufacture of immune cell therapies based on human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology using their Pulse® and Echo® Platform. Its focus and expertise in iPSC reprogramming, gene editing using its proprietary STAR-CRISPR™ technology and differentiation development, positions the company to be the partner of choice for innovative cell therapy developers to advance into clinic. Leveraging more than a decade of scientific and technical knowledge and experience, Cellistic possesses unique capabilities for the design and optimization of proprietary manufacturing platforms for iPSC- based cell therapies.
For more information, visit www.cellistic.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241213410573/en/
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Celonis Research Unveils: 89% of Business Leaders say AI Without Process Intelligence Fails to Deliver Expected Results5.2.2025 10:00:00 CET | Press release
The vast majority of decision makers surveyed (89%) said AI needs to have the context of how their business runs to deliver the expected results.81% of respondents said their companies plan to use AI specifically to improve business processes in the next 12 months.The majority (58%) of leaders worry that process shortcomings may limit AI’s contribution to their business. Celonis, the global leader in Process Mining and Process Intelligence, today released survey findings that demonstrate widespread recognition that AI requires Process Intelligence to be effective and relevant for the business. With Celonis Process Intelligence, AI gains the context it needs to understand how a business runs and how to make it run better. The 2025 Process Optimization Report shows that the vast majority of enterprise leaders (89%) say it’s crucial that AI has the context of how their business runs if it is going to deliver meaningful results and increase operational efficiency. The majority (58%) worry
Infobip Recognized as a Worldwide CPaaS Leader by IDC MarketScape for the Third Time5.2.2025 10:00:00 CET | Press release
Global cloud communications platform Infobip has been named as a Leader in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) 2025 Vendor Assessment. This is the third time that Infobip has been named a Leader in this report. According to the report, “Infobip is a key player in the CPaaS market with a global footprint and strong capabilities underpinned by its broad portfolio for enterprises as well as a carrier-grade service offering.” Courtney Munroe, Research Vice President, Worldwide Telecommunications Research at IDC, said:“Infobip has an agile organization structure and appetite for innovation to meet evolving enterprise requirements that stimulates continued expansion of its capabilities and global presence. The firm’s strong breadth and depth of services has enabled it to grow rapidly while maintaining a strong financial position.” Silvio Kutić, CEO at Infobip, said: “Over the last year, Infobip has continued to invest in innovative new services. For in
FoodChain ID and &Wider Announce Partnership for Responsible and Transparent Supply Chains That Protect Workers and Brands5.2.2025 10:00:00 CET | Press release
FoodChain ID, a provider of certification services and technology for the agriculture and food industry, and &Wider, a due diligence data company measuring worker engagement for responsible sourcing, announce their partnership for risk-based monitoring and auditing of worker conditions and engagement. The new service meets the demand from global brands to monitor and mitigate potential worker issues within their supply chains, as well as the requirements for transparent actions and reporting under the European Union’s (EU) Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) and Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250205893945/en/ FoodChain ID and &Wider have announced a partnership for risk-based monitoring and auditing of food industry worker conditions to protect workers and food brands. (Photo: Business Wire) The CSDDD created an obligation for due dilig
Alipay Records Surge of China Inbound and Outbound Travel Spending During the 2025 Chinese New Year5.2.2025 07:59:00 CET | Press release
The number of Alipay transactions made by outbound Chinese travelers across the 90 million-strong Alipay+ global merchants network increased by 30% y-o-y. The top destinations for Chinese travelers are Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, Hong Kong SAR, and South Korea, showing the highest growth rate in total Alipay spending.China inbound travel spending via Alipay surged by 150% y-o-y in the first five days of the Chinese New Year (CNY) holiday. The number of inbound travelers using their 13 home e-wallets supported by the Alipay+ solution nearly doubled y-o-y during the first four days of the holiday.Alipay’s flagship Fortune Cards Campaign drew 600 million participants this year, reaching a cumulative of one billion users in the past decade since its launch in 2016. During the 2025 Chinese New Year, Alipay recorded a significant increase in China’s outbound and inbound travel spending. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home
Hitachi Establishes Its Fourth Corporate Venture Capital Fund to Capture Technology Turning Points and Future Growth Opportunities5.2.2025 07:00:00 CET | Press release
Total Assets Under Management (AUM) Reaches 1 Billion USD, Contributing to Sustainable Growth with a World-Class Investment Scale Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501, "Hitachi") today announced the establishment of the fourth fund of the corporate venture capital (hereinafter referred to as "CVC") fund"HV Fund" with a purpose to identify startups with the potential to create or disrupt large attractive markets, anticipate the next technological and social turning points, and generate future growth opportunities. The fourth fund will have a size of 400 million USD, which is the largest CVC fund managed by Hitachi to date. The fund will make strategic investments in startups with cutting-edge digital technologies such as data centers, distributed energy systems, future of work and industrial AI, as well as startups in new frontiers including bio, quantum, nuclear fusion, life science, space and adjacent technologies. With the establishment of the fourth fund, Hitachi's investment in CVC will reach
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom