Transgene Expands Partnership with ProBioGen for Vaccine Production

Transgene, a biotech company focused on developing virus-based immunotherapies for cancer treatment, has expanded its strategic partnership with ProBioGen, a leading contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO). The French company has secured an additional license agreement to use ProBioGen’s AGE1.CR.pIX® suspension cell line, which will enhance Transgene’s manufacturing capabilities and support the development of its immunotherapies.

This new collaboration builds on an existing partnership between the two companies. Transgene will leverage ProBioGen’s cell line platform, known for its efficiency and scalability, to improve its production processes and meet future clinical needs. Dr. Alessandro Riva, Chairman and CEO of Transgene, expressed satisfaction with the agreement, stating, “This additional license reflects our confidence in the technology to prepare for future clinical needs at scale.”

Dr. Volker Sandig, Chief Scientific Officer at ProBioGen, emphasized the benefits of their cell line. He noted, “A continuous cell line qualified as a GMP master cell bank, grown in chemically defined and animal-component-free medium, means every batch begins from the same fully characterized starting material. This is the foundation of a process that is reproducible, scalable and straightforward to transfer.”

The AGE1.CR.pIX® cell line is a stable, avian cell line derived from primary cells of a duck embryo. It was developed as an alternative to traditional egg-based vaccine production methods, offering a more efficient and cost-effective approach. ProBioGen’s platform is designed to support the production of viral vaccines and is optimized for use in various virus strains.

Transgene’s lead asset, TG4050, a myvac®-based therapeutic vaccine, is currently in clinical development for the treatment of head and neck cancers. TG4070, another myvac®-derived vaccine candidate, is in Phase 1 clinical trials in combination with nivolumab for adjuvant non-small lung cancer. The company’s proprietary Invir.IO® platform is being used to develop multifunctional oncolytic viruses, further expanding its immunotherapy portfolio.

The expanded partnership between Transgene and ProBioGen underscores their shared commitment to advancing vaccine innovations through manufacturing scalability and optimization. Both companies are working to ensure that their combined efforts will lead to more reliable and efficient production processes, ultimately benefiting patients and the broader medical community.