Completed Cancer Infection & Immunity

Industrial Viral Vector Manufacturing Using Advanced Process Analytical Technologies

Funder InnovateUK (part of UKRI)
Recipient organisation Oxford Biomedica (UK) Limited Source-published name: Oxford Biomedica (UK) LTD
Funding £1.3M
Period Dec 2017 — Jan 2020

In plain English

AI plain-English summary

Lentiviral vectors—the modified viruses that deliver gene therapies into human cells—are currently too difficult and expensive to manufacture at the scale needed for commercial treatments. This matters because cell and gene therapies can cure or manage diseases that conventional drugs cannot touch, but their success depends on a reliable supply of high-quality viral vectors. Today, producing these vectors at commercial scale while maintaining strict purity, potency, and safety standards remains a major bottleneck. The project, led by Oxford BioMedica with two UK small and medium-sized enterprises, aims to develop and apply new process analytical technologies that monitor and control manufacturing in real time, rather than relying on slower, off-line quality checks. If successful, the research could shorten the time it takes for therapies to reach patients—from clinic to market—and reduce manufacturing costs, making advanced treatments more accessible. It also aligns with the UK government’s priority to establish the country as a global hub for advanced therapy manufacturing, potentially creating highly skilled jobs and opening new market opportunities in cell and gene therapy. The partners contribute proprietary technology and know-how to build a more efficient, scalable manufacturing platform.

View original technical description
Cell and gene therapies offer unprecedented promise for the cure, treatment or long term management of disease. However, the challenge facing the industry is the need for viral vectors which can be consistently manufactured to commercial scale with rigorous tolerances for purity, potency and safety. This collaboration to support advanced therapies is led by Oxford BioMedica (OXB) and includes 2 UK SME's; using OXB's existing leadership position in the development and manufacture of lentiviral vectors to meet in-house and partner organisation needs. Our aim is the development and application of novel advanced technologies to further evolve the current manufacturing platform, leading to an increase in the ability to deliver high quality vector for clinical and commercial applications. The project has the real potential to deliver tangible benefits to patients in shortening time-to-clinic and time-to-market as well as to improve the cost and access of bringing these novel therapies to patients. Each partner holds proprietary technology and know-how which will be leveraged to develop this innovative approach to viral vector manufacturing. The partners will look to access new market opportunities in cell and gene therapy resulting in economic growth and increased employment of highly skilled staff. The exploitable outcomes of this innovative project are closely aligned with the current government national priorities to make the UK a global hub for manufacturing advanced therapies.

View the original record at the funder ↗

Related Research

Grants with similar aims, by meaning.

Development of an Innovative Supply Chain Model to Expedite Delivery of Viral Vector ATIMPs to Clinical Trials
Design, Transfer and Qualification of a Commercially-Scalable Process for Viral Vectors
Engineering Viral Vector Biomanufacturing for Gene Therapy
Enhanced Vector Bioprocessing Technologies for Cell and Gene Therapies
21EBTA Novel Engineering Biology Solutions to the Production of Lentiviral Vectors by In vitro Assembly for Gene Therapy

Original classification

Collaborative R&D

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