BioOra cell therapy manufacturing underway. Photo: Supplied/ Lonza Ag
A New Zealand-based biotech company specialising in novel cancer treatments plans to set up a new base in Christchurch.
The company BioOra specialises in CAR-T therapy, a treatment it said was found to be effective in treating certain types of blood cancers, and that was not currently available in New Zealand.
BioOra selected Christchurch for its new manufacturing base, which would be located within the Te Papa Hauora Health Precinct.
"With this new manufacturing facility, we can scale up production of these life-saving therapies to solve major health problems. Commercialising CAR-T in the outpatient setting, with superior safety data, excellent efficacy, and at lower cost using automated manufacturing will be game-changing, for patients, the industry and for Christchurch's economy," BioOra managing director John Robson said.
Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell therapy (CAR-T) involves modifying a patient's T-cells to seek out and destroy cancer cells.
BioOra said its lead product was a novel third generation CAR-T therapy, developed in collaboration with the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research in Wellington, that was in a Phase II clinical trial in New Zealand.
Christchurch economic development agency ChristchurchNZ said it was projected that once BioOra was delivering treatment, it would contribute about $250 million to the city's GDP.
"The long-term plan is to create an immunotherapy centre of excellence where novel CAR-Ts are discovered, developed, and administered in Christchurch," ChristchurchNZ general manager of innovation and business growth Martin Cudd said.
"The lease signing is the first commitment in a pipeline of business decisions, triggering the hiring of multiple production specialists, and will lead to an increase in research and development locally.
"Currently CAR-T therapy is not available in New Zealand. The commercial potential for CAR-T therapy is substantial, with the global market projected to grow significantly. As of 2023, the market size was approximately USD$3.5 billion, and forecast to reach around USD$10.5 billion by 2030,"
Investment in the first year was expected to be about $10.5 million, with the potential for larger GDP gains for the city as the business developed, ChristchurchNZ said.
It said BioOra would begin work on final designs and the subsequent build-out of its manufacturing site from November.
BioOra's Robson said CAR-T therapies had been shown to be effective for certain blood cancers, including lymphomas, leukaemia, and multiple myeloma, but the applications were widening.
"Globally, the opportunities for CAR-T therapies are expanding beyond hematologic conditions. Clinical trials are exploring their potential in treating solid tumours and autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus, sclerosis, and certain types of arthritis," he said.
"This expansion could significantly broaden the benefits and market potential of CAR-T therapies in the coming years."
