VIVEbiotech and Zelluna Partnership to Advance Off-the-Shelf TCR-NK Cell Therapy with GMP Lentiviral Vectors
Partnership during the last 8 years leverages VIVEbiotech’s decade of experience manufacturing GMP ex- and in- vivo lentiviral vectors for the advanced therapies sector
VIVEbiotech, a leading Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) specializing in lentiviral vector (LVV) development and manufacturing for ex-vivo and in-vivo gene and cell therapies, announce a long standing partnership with Zelluna (OSE: ZLNA), a company pioneering allogeneic “off the shelf” T Cell Receptor based Natural Killer (TCR-NK) cells for the treatment of cancer. As part of the partnership, VIVEbiotech is supporting Zelluna with the GMP manufacture of lentiviral vectors supporting development of TCR-NK therapies targeting solid tumours of high unmet medical need.
While autologous CAR-T therapies have demonstrated promise in hematologic malignancies, broad access for patients has been a limitation due to complex and personalized manufacturing. Offering an “off the shelf” approach where a single batch can be made upfront, delivering hundreds of doses, and stored frozen ready for immediate use would be a game changer allowing access to larger patient populations — and the performance of the viral vector used to engineer primary cells is an important contributing factor. VIVEbiotech’s proven expertise in lentiviral vector technologies made it the partner of choice for Zelluna in pioneering the development of a novel “off the shelf” cell therapy platform designed to overcome existing barriers for cell therapies.
The partnership leverages VIVEbiotech’s well-established manufacturing platform, which has supported collaborations with more than 55 clients across the US, Europe, Asia, and Australia, in both ex-vivo and in-vivo advanced therapies.
The collaboration between VIVEbiotech and Zelluna has been ongoing since 2018, reflecting a long-standing commitment to innovation in cell therapy manufacturing. Zelluna recently announced the establishment of its proprietary manufacturing process and its lead program ZI-MA4-1, a novel TCR-NK therapy targeting MAGE-A4 tumour antigen, which is planned to enter clinical trials in 2026.
“This collaboration with Zelluna exemplifies our commitment to enabling the next generation of cell therapies through high-quality, scalable lentiviral vector manufacturing,” says Jon Alberdi, CEO of VIVEbiotech. “By combining our deep expertise in GMP vector production with Zelluna’s pioneering TCR-NK platform, we are proud to contribute to the advancement of innovative therapies that hold immense promise for patients with solid tumors.”
Emilie Gauthy, CTO at Zelluna, commented, “The collaboration with VIVEbiotech has contributed meaningfully to the development of our novel off the shelf TCR-NK therapies, enabling the manufacture of vectors essential for the successful delivery of DNA cargo in the generation of our ZI-MA4-1 lead product. I am truly pleased with our partnership with VIVEbiotech, which has proven to be a reliable and supportive ally in transforming a groundbreaking concept into a tangible product, ready for clinical development and with the potential to benefit a broad range of cancer patients.”
About VIVEbiotech
VIVEbiotech is a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) specializing in lentiviral vectors for gene and cell therapy. Founded in 2015, VIVEbiotech operates under EMA and FDA standards, serving over 55 biotech companies globally. The company focuses on scalable, high-yield manufacturing processes and cutting-edge technologies. With expertise in both ex-vivo and in-vivo applications, VIVEbiotech supports the development and commercialization of therapies for cancers and rare diseases, among others. For more information, follow us on LinkedIn.
About Zelluna
Zelluna ASA (OSE: ZLNA) is a company pioneering allogeneic ‘off-the-shelf’ T Cell Receptor-based Natural Killer (TCR-NK) cells for the treatment of solid cancers. The company’s platform combines the innate killing power of NK cells with precise solid tumour targeting of TCRs, designed to address the limitations of current cell therapies in solid tumours. The company’s lead candidate, ZI-MA4-1, is the worlds-first MAGE-A4 targeting TCR-NK therapy expected to enter clinical trials in 2026. Zelluna is headquartered at the Oslo Cancer Cluster innovation Park in Oslo, Norway and is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker ZLNA