Merck signs MoU with Cyto-Facto to advance cell and gene therapy development and manufacturing in APAC
Collaboration brings together expertise in Japan and India to accelerate new cell & gene therapy manufacturing in APAC
Merck, a leading science and technology company, has signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Cyto-Facto Inc., a specialist CDMO (Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization) focused on cell and gene therapies.
The collaboration aims to accelerate the development and manufacturing of CGT in Japan, building on Merck’s innovative technologies and global expertise with Cyto-Facto’s advanced capabilities to bring safe therapies to patients. As part of the collaboration, Merck India will support structured knowledge exchange and customer engagement initiatives to strengthen platform readiness. Merck India will also introduce Cyto-Facto to cell and gene therapy companies in India seeking specialised lentiviral CDMO services.
“By combining process development expertise across Japan and India, Merck is helping strengthen lentiviral manufacturing capabilities in the Asia Pacific region,” said Tony Budianto Bee, Head of Process Solutions APAC and Interim Head of Process Solutions India. “In India, this MoU will also help connect emerging CGT companies move promising therapies forward and support faster access to high-quality gene therapies for patients.”
Under the MoU, Merck and Cyto-Facto plan to work together to establish a robust production platform utilizing Merck’s VirusExpress293T Lentiviral Production Cells to support the process development and manufacturing in Good Manufacturing Process (GMP)-compliant environments. The collaboration also includes support for manufacturing scale-up, as well as technical training and process optimization through Merck’s the M Lab Collaboration Centers across APAC.
“To improve the health of patients in need of CGT therapies, we are committed to the reliable manufacturing of CGT products,” said Yasunori Ishibashi, CEO of Cyto-Facto. “Through our collaboration with Merck, we aim to contribute to a healthier society by delivering promising CGT therapies for a wide range of diseases in Japan and globally to patients in a timely and reliable manner.”