Lonza and the Boston, USA based pharmaceutical development company, Vertex have entered into an agreement under which Lonza will manufacture and supply Vertex’s CASGEVY (exagamglogene autotemcel). CASGEVY is the worlds first CRISPR/Cas9 gene-edited cell therapy for global commercial supply, and offers the potential of a one-time treatment for eligible patients with transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia or sickle cell disease.

Lonza will initially manufacture CASGEVY at its Geleen cell manufacturing facility, which was recently granted a GMP license by the US Food and Drug Administration, European Medicines Agency, and Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency. In addition, the company intends to produce the product at its Portsmouth, USA site, which is expected to begin GMP operations in 2025.