Cell and gene therapies are changing modern medicine, offering new hope for patients with cancer, genetic disorders, and rare diseases. However, the success of these treatments depends on reliable and scalable manufacturing. Current processes are often complex, slow, and dependent on manual steps that introduce risks.
MaxCyte has announced a major step forward with the launch of its end-to-end automation solutions for cell therapy manufacturing. Designed with human-centered engineering and tested in real-world labs and clinics, these solutions aim to simplify workflows, improve consistency, and help therapies reach patients faster.
The Growing Need for Automation in Cell Therapy
Reducing Human Error in Complex Processes
Cell therapy manufacturing requires many manual steps, including cell isolation, editing, and expansion. Each manual step introduces risks of error and variability. Automation reduces this risk by ensuring consistency and precision across every stage.
Here’s a step-by-step view of CAR T cell manufacturing with MaxCyte’s Flow Electroporation® technology:
Meeting the Demand for Scalable Production
As more therapies enter clinical trials, the demand for large-scale manufacturing is increasing. Manual processes cannot easily scale to produce enough treatments. Automation makes it possible to expand production without compromising quality.
Shortening Manufacturing Timelines
Traditional workflows often take weeks or even months to complete, slowing down patient access to life-saving therapies. Automation shortens these timelines by streamlining repetitive tasks and accelerating key stages of production.
Lowering Costs of Advanced Therapies
Cell therapies are among the most expensive treatments in healthcare today, partly because of labor-intensive processes. Automated systems reduce labor requirements and improve efficiency, which helps lower production costs over time.
Ensuring Reproducibility Across Sites
When therapies move from small research labs to global manufacturing facilities, maintaining consistent results is challenging. Automation provides standardized methods that reduce variability and make outcomes more reproducible across different sites.
Supporting Regulatory Compliance
Regulatory agencies require strict documentation and control of processes in cell therapy manufacturing. Automated systems create standardized, trackable workflows that simplify compliance and provide the reliable data needed for approval.
Expanding the Manufacturing Toolbox
MaxCyte’s automation portfolio is designed to support therapy developers at every stage of their journey. Instead of a one-size-fits-all system, the company offers a range of tools that can be scaled and customized:
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Off-the-shelf modules that integrate easily into existing processes.
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Standalone components such as mixing units and centrifugation systems that handle critical tasks.
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Configurable technologies that allow teams to design custom workflows for unique therapies.
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Fully bespoke systems built for organizations that require specialized end-to-end solutions.
This flexible approach means researchers can start small during discovery and development, then expand into clinical and commercial production without changing platforms.
Built on Proven Electroporation Technology
At the core of MaxCyte’s offering is its ExPERT system powered by Flow Electroporation technology. This platform is already trusted in more than 19 clinical and commercial programs worldwide. It is known for its ability to deliver genetic material into cells at scale with high efficiency and reproducibility.
Unlike viral vectors, which require long production times and add regulatory complexity, Flow Electroporation provides a faster, non-viral alternative. By integrating automation with this proven system, MaxCyte allows therapy developers to:
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Reduce manual handling.
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Shorten production cycles.
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Improve reproducibility across different sites.
This combination is vital for therapies that need to meet strict regulatory standards while maintaining consistent performance.
Collaboration with Ori Biotech
To further strengthen its automation solutions, MaxCyte has entered into a strategic partnership with Ori Biotech, a company specializing in advanced cell and gene therapy manufacturing platforms.
The collaboration integrates MaxCyte’s ExPERT electroporation with Ori’s IRO system, which adds automated fluid handling, customizable mixing, and OriConnect sterile connections. Together, these platforms aim to improve the efficiency of T cell engineering and reduce the time needed to produce patient-ready therapies.
One of the first projects under this partnership focuses on CRISPR knock-in of CD19 CAR T cells, a therapy widely studied in the treatment of blood cancers. The joint effort is expected to increase yields, lower costs, and make large-scale manufacturing more practical.
Clinical and Real-World Validation
MaxCyte’s solutions are not theoretical concepts but proven technologies already validated in the clinic. Some of the most compelling examples include:
Treating Sickle Cell Disease and Beta Thalassemia
By editing hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells to restore fetal hemoglobin production, MaxCyte’s technology enabled patients with sickle cell disease and transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia to live free from symptoms. Remarkably, the first treated patient has remained symptom-free for more than eight years.
Advancing CAR-NK Cell Therapies
Natural killer cells are notoriously hard to engineer. MaxCyte’s system enabled scientists to insert multiple genetic cargos in a single step, producing effective CAR-NK therapies with strong expansion potential.
Non-Viral CAR-T Manufacturing
MaxCyte has also supported transposase-based CAR-T cell production, which avoids the use of viral vectors. This non-viral method is more cost-effective, scalable, and suitable for GMP environments, addressing a key limitation in traditional CAR-T workflows.
These case studies show that MaxCyte’s platforms can maintain consistent performance across multiple labs and manufacturing sites, an essential requirement for regulatory approval.
Raising the Standard for Cell Therapy Manufacturing
With its new automation portfolio, MaxCyte is positioning itself as more than a technology vendor. The company is becoming a manufacturing partner for therapy developers worldwide. Its approach combines:
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Validated automation modules.
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Flexible, customizable workflows.
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Collaborations with leading industry partners.
This model addresses the biggest hurdles in the field: high costs, slow timelines, and variability in outcomes. By reducing manual work, improving reproducibility, and ensuring scalability, MaxCyte is helping therapies move from research to commercialization with greater confidence.
Final Words
The launch of MaxCyte’s end-to-end automation solutions marks an important milestone for the future of cell therapy. Automation is no longer an optional upgrade but a necessity for bringing advanced treatments to patients at scale.
By combining proven electroporation, modular automation, and strategic partnerships, MaxCyte is setting a new benchmark in manufacturing. Its solutions not only accelerate development but also make therapies more accessible, reliable, and cost-effective.
For patients waiting on life-changing treatments, these advances may help close the gap between scientific promise and real-world availability.
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