Mustang Bio's cell processing technique comes to science park
Courtesy
Mustang Bio President and CEO Manuel Litchman.
Mustang Bio, a subsidiary of New York-based Fortress Biotech, is leasing space in the UMass Medicine Science Park for a manufacturing facility to support clinical development and commercialization of the company's chimeric antigen receptor engineered T (CAR T) cell technology. The park, directly across the street from UMass Medical School, is now more than 90 percent full. Mustang Bio President CEO Manuel Litchman sat down to answer some questions about the company's new facility in Worcester.
How many employees is Mustang Bio bringing to Worcester?
We anticipate there will be 20 employees in the facility by the end of 2018. We will continue to expand that number as we increase the monthly enrollment of patients on our clinical trials.
How large is the space Mustang Bio is leasing?
About 27,000 square feet, and about 14,000 square feet will be built out initially for our early phase development.
What are the company's plans for the space?
Cell processing, which is the processing of each patient's white blood cells that have been removed from the patient at the medical center where they are being treated and shipped to our facility. This processing involves genetic engineering of the white blood cells so they produce the protein to target the patient's cancer cells and incubation of these white blood cells so they multiply to provide enough cells for effective treatment once they are reinfused into the patient.
Also, process development: researching to improve the cell processing techniques.
Why is the company's approach to cancer treatment different and more effective?
It is personalized therapy, as described above, as opposed to off-the-shelf therapy.
Since it involves reinfusing the patient's own live cells, it is considered living therapy. These cells continue to multiply inside the patient and actively kill tumor cells via normal physiologic mechanisms in a way that other types of therapies cannot.
It harnesses the power of the patient's own immune system to kill cancer cells, rather than targeting the tumor cells directly.
Since it selectively targets specific molecules on the surface of the patient's tumor cells, toxicity to normal cells is reduced.
Why did the company choose the UMass Medicine Science Park?
UMass Medicine Science Park is one of the nation's leading centers for biotechnology research and production. This setting will enable Mustang Bio to recruit top talent and manufacturing expertise.
When will the facility be up and running?
It will be up and running by the end of 2018, so that Mustang can enroll its first patient in that timeframe.
This interview was edited for length and clarity by WBJ Staff Writer Zachary Comeau.
WBJ Web Partners
Most Recent
Most Recent
0 Comments