Catalent has acquired Erytech Pharma’s state-of-the-art, commercial-scale cell therapy manufacturing facility in Princeton, NJ, for $44.5 million. The deal includes an exclusive long-term supply agreement for Catalent to support Erytech’s lead product candidate eryaspase (GRASPA), a red blood cell-derived product, which is currently in late-stage development for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
 
The 30,900-sq.-ft. facility is located within the University Square Campus Park and houses 16 suites for cGMP-compliant product production, as well as labs for analytical, quality control and microbiology testing. The site will become a strategic campus for development as well as clinical- and commercial-scale manufacturing of cell therapies, and is located within easy reach of Catalent’s facilities around Baltimore, MD, where the company develops and manufactures viral vectors and plasmid DNA. It will also work in collaboration with Catalent’s existing U.S. clinical-scale cell therapy facility in Houston, TX.
 
Additionally, Catalent has agreed to lease an adjacent 23,000-sq.-ft. building that could be used for additional lab or cGMP capabilities, and another building on the campus for potential future expansions. All staff at the site will transfer to Catalent’s employment, and Catalent is developing plans for future recruitment.
 
Under the supply agreement, Catalent will continue to manufacture eryaspase (GRASPA) at the site, and will support the development of Erytech’s pipeline of encapsulated red blood cell-based therapeutics for severe forms of cancer and orphan diseases.
 
“This acquisition is strategically important to Catalent’s commitment to support the development and clinical and commercial supply of cell therapies to meet rapidly growing demand,” said Manja Boerman, Ph.D., President, Catalent Cell & Gene Therapy. “The talented and experienced staff already employed at the facility, the capabilities it has in place, and the opportunity to quickly add further capacity on the same site, allow Catalent to expand rapidly to create a U.S. campus and center of excellence for cell therapy development and manufacturing that will serve customers around the world.”
 
“In Catalent we have found a great partner for the manufacturing of our innovative red blood cell-derived products,” said Gil Beyen, Chief Executive Officer at Erytech. “Catalent Cell & Gene Therapy is an industry-leading technology, development, and manufacturing partner for advanced therapeutics, and we believe this win-win strategic partnership will meet our long-term manufacturing needs in the U.S. Erytech will now further focus its resources on seeking regulatory approval of GRASPA and on the development of potentially transformative therapeutics for serious diseases.”