Miltenyi Biotec and CHA Biotech partner to improve CAR-NK cancer therapy production, making treatments more scalable and cost-effective.
German biotech company Miltenyi Biotec has entered a strategic collaboration with South Korea’s CHA Biotech to improve how CAR-NK cell therapies are developed and manufactured. The partnership aims to tackle one of the biggest challenges in this emerging field of biotechnology and healthcare, producing these advanced CAR NK therapy s in large quantities without losing their effectiveness or safety.
At the center of the collaboration is Miltenyi’s Bioindustry division, which specializes in lentiviral vector engineering. The company will supply preclinical and GMP-grade lentiviral vectors using its proprietary baboon envelope platform. This technology is designed to enhance gene delivery into natural killer cells, a crucial step in creating effective CAR-NK therapies.
CAR-NK therapies are gaining attention as a next-generation cancer treatment. Unlike CAR-T therapies, which rely on a patient’s own cells, CAR NK cell therapy uses donor-derived cells. This makes it possible to produce treatments in advance and deliver them as off-the-shelf therapies. They are also considered safer, with a lower risk of severe immune reactions.
However, efficiently modifying NK cells has remained a problem. Miltenyi’s platform addresses this by targeting receptors naturally present on these cells, significantly improving gene transfer. The result is more consistent therapy products, higher yields and lower production costs.
CHA Biotech will use these vectors to develop its CAR-NK therapy candidate, CHACAR-NK-201. The company is already advancing NK cell therapies for solid tumors, including liver cancer, glioblastoma, and triple-negative breast cancer, and plans to expand its pipeline further.
As Business Fortune observes, this partnership builds on previous joint efforts between the two companies to develop automated, large-scale manufacturing processes. Together, they aim to set new standards for producing immune cell therapies that can meet growing global demand.
