Charles River Laboratories has joined the EASYGEN (Easy Workflow Integration for Gene Therapy) Consortium, a European Union (EU)-backed effort to produce CAR-T cell therapies faster, make them more affordable and increase patient access throughout Europe.
Charles River will leverage its deep institutional expertise in 3D screening technologies to develop an ex vivo platform to expedite early screening for safety and efficacy.
By leveraging access to Charles River’s well-annotated patient-derived xenograft (PDX) bank in combination with high-content imaging read-outs, the new 3D screening platform will enable the rapid identification of the safest and most efficacious CAR-T cell candidate for subsequent development.
“In the treatment of complex cancers, time is critical,” said Julia Schueler, DVM, PhD, Therapeutic Area Lead, Oncology, Charles River.
“The current manufacturing process for CAR-T therapies is time-intensive and severely limits their clinical application."
"By collaborating across industry and academia, I am hopeful we can design a streamlined workflow that will increase access to these therapies for patients who need them.”
CAR-T cell therapy represents a breakthrough in cancer treatment, yet fewer than 20% of eligible patients currently receive it.
These therapies typically involve genetically modifying a patient’s T cell to target cancer, requiring complex, time-intensive production in specialised facilities often far from patients.
Limited manufacturing capacity and supply chain delays prevent timely patient access.
“EASYGEN unites physicians, researchers and partner institutions across Europe to collaboratively deliver innovative, personalised therapies more swiftly to where they matter most — to patients in need,” said Dr Sonja Steppan, Head of Research Office, Fresenius SE and Principal Investigator, EASYGEN.
“Automating patient-specific therapies such as CAR-T is essential to make these treatments more broadly accessible, especially in non-academic clinical environments.”