CEVEC and CARISMA Therapeutics Sign License Agreement for the Use of CAP(R) Technology in Anti-Tumor Cell Therapies

COLOGNE, GERMANY and PHILADELPHIA, PA / ACCESSWIRE / February 2, 2021 / CEVEC Pharmaceuticals GmbH (CEVEC) and CARISMA Therapeutics Inc. (CARISMA) today announced the signing of an agreement which grants CARISMA a clinical and commercial license for CEVEC's proprietary CAP(R) Technology for the manufacturing of RCA-free adenovirus vectors for use in anti-tumor cell therapy.

The deal will allow CARISMA to use the technology across their portfolio of chimeric antigen receptor macrophages (CAR-M) immunotherapies in cancer indications. No further details of the agreement were disclosed.

"We are excited to have signed this new license agreement with CARISMA, enabling them to use our CAP(R) Technology to safely manufacture adenoviral vectors for their engineered monocyte and macrophage platforms," said Dr. Nicole Faust, CEO of CEVEC. "Having a platform capable of producing RCA-free adenoviral vectors is crucially important for adenovirus-based therapies. We look forward to strengthening our successful collaboration with CARISMA over the next years, by providing a key element for their innovative cell therapy concept, helping them to bring the power of cellular immunotherapy to potentially treat patients with hard-to-treat cancers."

"This collaboration with CEVEC is a key proof point to CARISMA's commitment to tapping the potential of CAR-Ms as a therapeutic pathway. We are eager to work with companies that match our dedication to patients and the field of immunotherapy," said Steven Kelly, President and Chief Executive Officer at CARISMA Therapeutics. "We look forward to applying CEVEC's CAP(R) Technology to the continued development of our CAR-M platform."

About CAP(R) Technology - Cell lines specifically designed for vector production

CEVEC's CAP(R) cell line is based on an engineered human suspension cell line of non-tumor origin, derived from human amniocytes. CAP(R) cells can be grown in all formats and all sizes of bioreactors providing a robust, fully scalable production platform for the manufacturing of viral vectors from research grade and smaller amounts up to industrial volumes. The CAP(R) cell line is fully documented and reviewed by regulatory authorities. Since 2016, a Biologics Master File (BMP) is available for reference with the US FDA. GMP Master Cell Banks are available and ready for licensing.

About RCA-free adenoviral vectors - A major challenge in vector manufacturing

Recombinant adenoviral vectors (AdV) were among the first vectors for gene therapy purposes and have become an important vehicle for vaccines and human gene therapies. Today, many cell lines used for production of AdV generate certain levels of replication-competent adenovirus (RCAs). The presence of RCAs in AdV preparations which are intended for use in humans is increasingly considered to be a potential risk, especially for immuno-compromised patients. The CAP(R) cell line is specifically designed for RCA-free production of AdV.

About CEVEC Pharmaceuticals GmbH

CEVEC is a leading provider of high-performance cell technology for the manufacturing of advanced biotherapeutics from R&D to manufacturing scale. The company's product portfolio comprises platform technologies for gene therapy viral vectors and complex recombinant proteins. With ELEVECTA(R) CEVEC has developed the first technology which stably incorporates all elements required for AAV production into the genome of one producer cell. CEVEC's CAP(R) Technology based on human suspension cells is the ideal production platform for RCA-free adenoviral vectors, viral vaccines and exosomes. With CAP(R) Go CEVEC provides a solution to the increasing need for recombinant production of complex and highly glycosylated protein molecules, including laminins, coagulation factors, and plasma proteins.

For more information, please visit www.cevec.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

About CARISMA Therapeutics Inc.

CARISMA Therapeutics Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company developing a differentiated and proprietary cell therapy platform focused on engineered macrophages, cells that play a crucial role in both the innate and adaptive immune response. The first applications of the platform, developed in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania, are autologous chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-macrophages for the treatment of solid tumors. CARISMA Therapeutics is headquartered in Philadelphia, PA.

For more information, please visit www.carismatx.com.

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