Catalent’s Shopping List: Hinting Towards a One-Stop Cell & Gene Therapy CMO in Making

There appear to be no Monday blues for Catalent as the company announces the acquisition of MaSTherCell Global, a technology-focused cell and gene therapy contract development and manufacturing organization. Following its last year’s acquisition of Paragon Bioservices (a leading viral vector developer), Catalent’s recent acquisition has extended the company’s leadership in this already crowded space.

Why has there been so much interest in this space?

The increasing acquisition activity in this space is heavily driven by the growing pipeline of cell-based therapies. With more than 600 candidates in development, the cell therapy space has witnessed significant interest from various stakeholders.

The development pipeline of cell-based therapies is very attractive and features a number of big pharma players. However, the manufacturing challenges associated with these therapies has acted as a roadblock.

Manufacturing cell therapies is technically and financially demanding. Therefore, despite therapy developers gradually strengthening their in-house expertise, they are also becoming increasingly reliant on contract service providers. In fact, over 100 industry players and 60 non-industry players currently claim to manufacture different types of cell therapies.

Why is Catalent acquiring so many players in gene therapy?

The acquisition of MaSTherCell is a strategic move to extend the service offerings for cell and gene therapies. Here is what the company’s CEO said about the acquisition:

“MaSTherCell extends our leadership position in the biotech industry, complements our leading gene therapy offering, and allows us to deliver comprehensive development, manufacturing, analytical, fill-finish, and clinical supply solutions for innovators across the large molecule space”

– John Chiminski, Catalent’s Chair & Chief Executive Officer

The move has allowed the company to set itself apart in the highly competitive cell and gene therapy manufacturing space.

To get detailed insights about the cell therapy manufacturing market, check out the detailed report here. For details on the gene therapy market, check out this infographic.