Materials Sourcing: Precautions and Improvements for Cell and Gene Therapies

What It Covers

Avantor EVP Jared Brophy outlines the material sourcing challenges and supply chain precautions facing cell and gene therapy manufacturers, covering autologous versus allogeneic production differences, single-use system considerations, CDMO reliance, and how supplier partnerships must evolve as the sector approaches a projected 40% compound annual growth rate.

Key Questions Answered

• •Label and geography expansion strategy: Approved cell and gene therapy products generate maximum value through label expansions and geographic rollouts. Kite Gilead's repositioning of its CAR-T product from fourth-line to second-line treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia demonstrates how manufacturers should actively pursue expanded indications rather than treating initial approval as a commercial endpoint.
• •Autologous scale-out vs. scale-up: Autologous CAR-T manufacturing requires scale-out thinking, not scale-up. Each dose serves one patient, so manufacturers must standardize and close processes, minimize human intervention through automation, and reduce contamination risk. Approximately 10,000 commercial doses plus a comparable number through hospital clinical trials have been delivered using this model.
• •Material quality bar for cell and gene therapy: Manufacturers must apply stricter raw material standards than those used in monoclonal antibody production. Animal-origin materials, endotoxin levels, and viral contamination risk require tighter controls because cell and gene therapy processes prioritize cell viability preservation rather than the harsh separation steps that purify conventional biologics.
• •Single-use system gaps require urgent characterization: Extractables and leachables profiles for single-use components are well-established for CHO and HEK293 cell lines but remain poorly characterized for T cells, natural killer cells, and Jurkat cells. Manufacturers should prioritize building dedicated extractables and leachables databases specific to cell therapy production before scaling commercial operations.
• •CDMO dependency is higher in cell and gene therapy than in recombinant proteins: Cell and gene therapy manufacturers outsource a greater proportion of production activities than conventional biologics producers, driven by facility and expertise gaps at early-stage companies. Engaging CDMOs early for both clinical and Phase 1 commercial production reduces capacity risk as demand scales over the next several years.