SCG Cell Therapy opened a new first-of-its-kind cell therapy good-manufacturing-practice certified-(GMP) facility and research and development (R&D) centre with the support of the Singapore Economic Development Board at its headquarters in Singapore in July 2023.
The facility provides cell therapy products to affiliated medical institutions across the Asia-Pacific, North America, and Europe regions. Cell therapy can potentially revolutionise therapies for cancers and other life-threatening diseases.
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The site enhances the company’s capabilities in advanced cell therapy manufacturing and off-the-shelf human-induced pluripotent stem cell technology.
SCG Cell Therapy collaborated with the cell therapy facility of the Singapore Health Sciences Authority (HSA) for the validation of its proprietary cell therapy manufacturing process for T-cell therapy manufacturing in November 2021.
The advanced closed and automated cell therapy manufacturing system utilised in the facility was accredited by the HSA and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for clinical trials.
Location
Singapore was selected as the preferred location for the new cell therapy facility and R&D centre due to advantages such as world-class research and manufacturing infrastructure, a pool of GMP-certified manufacturing talent, and a business environment that is open to embracing new technologies.
With the successful technology transfer and validation in Singapore, SCG Cell Therapy plans to establish its international hub in the country for conducting cell therapy research, manufacturing, and clinical development activities, enabling the company to deliver high-quality cell therapy products from its broad pipeline to patients worldwide.
SCG cell therapy manufacturing facility details
The state-of-the-art GMP pilot facility is equipped with advanced technology for the manufacturing of novel cell therapy products such as T-cell receptor therapy. Its closed and automated cell therapy manufacturing technologies provide the advantages of reduced contamination and risk, greater product consistency, and efficiency with increased scalability at a reduced cost.
The manufacturing system at the facility reduces clean room space requirements by 80% per patient when compared to manual manufacturing methods.
It prevents labour-intensive procedures and improves throughput by a factor of ten, which lowers the per-patient manufacturing cost by up to 70%, making cell therapy more accessible and affordable for patients.
The facility will significantly increase local production capacity while substantially reducing the cost of cell therapy.
R&D centre details
The R&D centre facilitates the research and development of the cell therapy product candidates in the company’s growing pipeline, including the key research areas target Hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated liver cancer.
HBV infection is a leading cause of liver cancer responsible for a significant proportion of primary liver cancer cases worldwide.
By targeting HBV-associated liver cancer, SCG Cell Therapy aims to address a critical unmet medical need and potentially offer life-saving breakthroughs to patients in the region and beyond.
The establishment of the R&D centre aligns with the Singapore government’s vision and commitment to anchoring the country as a global innovation hub.
SCG Cell Therapy’s partnerships and collaboration
SCG Cell Therapy has developed its first cell therapy product, SCG101, with the assistance of agencies such as the HSA and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR).
The company’s operations are headquartered in Singapore with teams also located in China and Germany, depicting its international reach and collaborations.
SCG Cell Therapy is also in partnership with public sector research bodies and is exploring collaborating with the Advanced Cell Therapy and Research Institute, Singapore to advance its manufacturing efforts.
Furthermore, the company is expanding its partnership with A*STAR’s Bioprocessing Technology Institute and Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology with a memorandum of understanding for collaboration on cell and gene therapy process development technologies and novel cell therapies for infectious diseases and cancer treatments.
