ElevateBio becomes first participant in the AVATAR Foundry beta program

SAN FRANCISCO — Xcell Biosciences, Inc. (Xcellbio), a platform technology company focused on cell and gene therapy applications, today announced a collaboration with ElevateBio, LLC (ElevateBio), through which the companies aim to explore novel approaches to improving therapeutic potency of cell and gene therapies. As part of this collaboration, ElevateBio becomes the first member of Xcellbio’s beta program for its new AVATAR Foundry™ device. In addition, Michael Paglia, Chief Technology Officer at ElevateBio’s BaseCamp^®, has joined Xcellbio’s Scientific Advisory Board.

ElevateBio is a technology-driven company commercializing its enabling technologies, manufacturing capabilities, and industry-leading expertise through partnerships to accelerate the development of genetic medicines. The company’s integrated ecosystem combines its BaseCamp process development and current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) manufacturing business with its technology stack that includes gene editing, cell engineering technologies, and viral and non-viral delivery.

“At BaseCamp, we work with industry partners to design the best process for their product and recognize the importance of emerging technologies that will revolutionize how cell and gene therapies are manufactured,” said Mr. Paglia. “I am excited to join the Xcellbio advisory board and look forward to joining Brian and the team on the collaboration with BaseCamp.”

As part of this collaboration, ElevateBio BaseCamp scientists will have access to Xcellbio’s AVATAR™ incubator system for cell therapy research and development as well as two new platforms: the AVATAR Ai™ system for measuring the potency of cell therapies and the AVATAR Foundry system for cGMP cell therapy manufacturing. The AVATAR and AVATAR Foundry systems are used to metabolically reprogram therapeutic cells to improve their potency and persistence in the tumor microenvironment (TME), while the AVATAR Ai provides real-time analysis of tumor cytotoxicity under TME conditions. These collaborative efforts should streamline manufacturing protocols for cell and gene therapies.

Brian Feth, co-founder and CEO at Xcellbio, commented: “We are delighted to collaborate with ElevateBio, a true leader in the cell and gene therapy field, and we look forward to one day having a collective impact in how these important treatments are used to improve healthcare. We also welcome Mike to our advisory board and are eager for his contributions to our own R&D programs in that capacity.”

The beta program for Xcellbio’s AVATAR Foundry system is now open. To learn more, meet with the Xcellbio team at Advanced Therapies Week taking place in Miami from January 16-19 or visit https://www.xcellbio.com/contact-foundry.

About Xcell Biosciences

Xcellbio is driven by its mission to enhance the performance and safety of cell and gene-based therapies through the design and development of revolutionary technology platforms. The company’s commercial instruments and AI-driven software allow researchers to discover novel insights into immune and tumor biology and enable the translation of these insights at patient scale through the development of its pioneering cGMP cell therapy and manufacturing platform. Based in San Francisco, Xcellbio can also be found online at www.xcellbio.com.