Center for Breakthrough Medicines and Virion Therapeutics Announce Strategic Partnership to Manufacture Virion’s Proprietary CD8+ T cell-based Clinical Development Programs for ​Infectious Diseases and Cancers

King of Prussia, PA — February 22, 2023 — Center for Breakthrough Medicines (CBM), a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) dedicated to addressing critical challenges associated with the commercialization of cell and gene therapies, and Virion Therapeutics (Virion), a clinical-stage biotech company focused on the development of novel, adaptable, and accessible CD8+ T cell-based technologies focused on cancers and infectious diseases, today announced a strategic collaboration agreement wherein CBM will manufacture and partner with Virion on their checkpoint modifier clinical development programs, including the First-in-Human VRON-0200 immunotherapy for patients with chronic Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection.

“Virion is working to revolutionize the immunotherapy treatment landscape, and we are honored to partner with them on this bold mission as we share a common goal – to create a future free of cancer and chronic infectious diseases,” said Audrey Greenberg, Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer of CBM. “We have assembled best-in-field technical teams, supported by industry-leading product and process development, manufacturing, and testing capabilities, all located within a single, world-class manufacturing facility. We look forward to working with Virion to bring their life-saving therapies to the patients who need them most, as quickly as possible.”

One of the key programs CBM and Virion will be working on together is the VRON-2000, a pan-genotypic, global therapeutic immunotherapy for the treatment of chronic HBV infection, which is estimated to impact over 295 million people around the world. HBV infection impairs CD8+ T cells, resulting in the loss of viral control. Research has shown that VRON-0200 induces a very potent and broad CD8+ T cell response that includes responses to the core and pol regions not normally induced by the infection; as such, a new and highly functional immune response is stimulated to help clear the virus.

“Virion is delighted to expand our partnership with CBM through this key strategic collaboration,” said Virion’s Chief Operating Officer Sue Currie, Ph.D. “As we head to the clinic with our first-in-class, first-in-human program, VRON-0200, for a functional cure for HBV, as well as our other IND-enabling activities for our oncology programs, it is critical to have a manufacturing partner like CBM that has not only the capabilities and breadth of services, but also a highly dedicated and experienced team.  We are pleased to have this partnership that is also invested in our corporate goals and values.”

“CBM is a great partner to support Virion’s pipeline and help address high unmet medical needs for persons with cancer and infectious disease worldwide,” stated Andrew Luber, Pharm.D., Virion’s Chief Executive Officer. “We look forward to our continued collaborations and for their assistance in advancing our programs from early- to later-stage clinical trials.”  

About Virion Therapeutics (Virion)

Virion Therapeutics, LLC, is a science driven company whose mission is to cure cancer and chronic infectious diseases through the development of novel and accessible CD8+ T cell based immunotherapies. Our proprietary technologies combine genetically encoded checkpoint modifiers with selected and optimized target-specific antigens that are inserted into viral vectors to promote potent, prolonged, and broad CD8+ T cell responses. Founded in early 2018 to advance technology licensed from The Wistar Institute, an international leader in biomedical research with special expertise in vaccine, cancer and infectious disease research, Virion has built a best-in-class, experienced biotechnology management team, augmented by its advisory board that has extensive domain knowledge in antiviral, vaccine, and oncology therapeutic arenas.

About Center for Breakthrough Medicines (CBM) Center for Breakthrough Medicines (CBM) is a cell and gene therapy contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) uniquely positioned to enable pharma and biotech companies to develop, test, and manufacture life-saving therapies and treatments on a global scale. Ideally located in the heart of Philadelphia’s Cellicon Valley, CBM has assembled the most accomplished cell and gene therapy experts in the world, armed with cutting-edge and innovative technologies, to offer scalable, best-in-class pre-clinical through commercial manufacturing capabilities, including process development, plasmid DNA, vector manufacturing, cell banking, cell processing, and a full suite of complementary and standalone testing and analytical capabilities.

Purpose-built and patient-driven, CBM was designed from the ground up to be a more-effective CDMO, providing single-source, end-to-end solutions to deliver true partnership and unprecedented value to its customers through teamwork, transparency, and speed-to-market dedication.

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