Autolus announces support of NAATTC and iMATCH to facilitate development of advanced therapies

UK-based biopharmaceutical company, Autolus, has announced its participation in the Northern Alliance Advanced Therapies Treatment Centre (NAATTC) and support of the Innovate Manchester Advanced Therapy Centre Hub (iMATCH) consortium.

NAATTC and iMATCH each received a £7 million grant from Innovate UK, intended to help facilitate the development, potential commercialisation and implementation of cell, gene and tissue engineered therapies in the UK. The treatment centres, coordinated by the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, will collaborate with companies, like Autolus, to address issues relating to the development, manufacture and supply, evaluation, funding and adoption of this new generation of potential therapies with the aim of increasing the capacity of the National Health Service (NHS) to deliver advanced therapies to patients.

“We are delighted to collaborate with our partners in the NAATTC and to support the iMATCH consortium, and look forward to continuing to work together and share expertise to aid NAATTC’s goal of facilitating the development of advanced therapies, such as our programmed T cell product candidates, which have potential as treatment options for patients with few or no alternatives,” explained Dr Christian Itin, CEO of Autolus. “We are grateful for the support and foresight of the UK government and Innovate UK in recognising the potential of this type of therapy by investing early in the necessary infrastructure to facilitate development of these products and adoption within the NHS, and providing the right environment for UK companies, such as Autolus, to remain at the forefront of innovation in this exciting field.”