Bio-Techne Fuels Cell and Gene Therapy Innovation Through $2M G-Rex Grants Initiative

Bio-Techne's Role in Advancing Cell and Gene Therapy Through G-Rex Grants

Bio-Techne Corporation significantly contributes to the field of cell and gene therapy (CGT) manufacturing, as evidenced by its involvement in the recent awarding of eight G-Rex Grants totaling nearly $2 million. This initiative, which is a collaboration with ScaleReady, Wilson Wolf Manufacturing, and CellReady, supports the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) Manufacturing Network. The grants aim to enhance non-profit academic Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) facilities in California, reinforcing the state’s leadership in CGT. This strategic move not only strengthens partnerships among academic institutions, industry players, and non-profits but also propels the development of cost-effective manufacturing platforms for cell therapies.

Dr. Shyam Patel, CIRM’s Associate Vice President of Preclinical Development, emphasizes the importance of these grants in facilitating advancements in cell therapy manufacturing. The grants support researchers such as Dr. Dan Kaufman from UC San Diego, who receives $125,000 to develop a new G-Rex® production system for virus-like particles essential for immune cell engineering. This initiative exemplifies how Bio-Techne’s G-Rex platform is becoming integral to innovative research projects within California’s academic landscape, driving research that could lead to transformative therapies.

Furthermore, the G-Rex platform’s adoption by key institutions underscores its pivotal role in the production of CAR-T therapies, with notable grants awarded to Dr. Taby Ahsan from City of Hope and Dr. Steve Feldman from Stanford Medicine. Both researchers are advancing CAR-T cell therapy production with substantial funding, showcasing the platform's capacity to facilitate clinical trials, including the first CAR-T therapy for pediatric neuroblastoma and medulloblastoma that has recently entered clinical trials. The momentum generated through these grants not only highlights Bio-Techne’s innovative contributions but also positions it as a cornerstone in the evolving landscape of cell and gene therapy manufacturing.

In addition to the G-Rex Grants, Bio-Techne is aligned with broader industry trends focusing on enhancing manufacturing capabilities within the regenerative medicine sector. The collaboration with CIRM and other entities exemplifies a collective effort to ensure that California remains at the forefront of CGT innovation, leveraging academic research to meet increasing clinical demands.

As the cell and gene therapy field continues to expand, initiatives like the G-Rex Grants signal a promising future for innovative therapies, showcasing Bio-Techne’s commitment to supporting groundbreaking research that could lead to significant medical breakthroughs.