Bracco Imaging has announced it is upgrading its manufacturing site in Geneva to support clinical-grade GMP manufacturing of its cell therapy-enabling microbubble technology.
The move builds on previously announced investments in the site since 2019. Commercial access to the GMP-grade cell selection and activation product will be ready by the middle of 2027.
In a statement, Bracco said that it was enhancing its manufacturing capabilities for streptavidin-conjugated lipid-based microbubbles.
Currently, most cell therapy workflows rely on outdated magnetic bead technologies for cell enrichment, which involve multiple time-consuming steps that can pose regulatory and quality challenges. Bracco's microbubbles streamline this process by enabling the separation and activation of specific cell subtypes in a single step, facilitating commercial scalability.
According to the company, the facility upgrade will include automated compounding equipment, new purification systems and an open Restricted Access Barrier System (RABS) for better protection during aseptic operations.
This modernisation will then enable larger batch production and improve process monitoring.
Bracco added that all development and engineering activities are being carried out internally through collaboration among the company's various teams.
"This additional investment in our Geneva facility marks an important milestone in our mission to provide best-in-class cell selection and activation solutions to the cell and gene therapy industry," said Sophie He, Bracco's Vice President, Cell Therapy.
By modernising our GMP manufacturing capabilities, we are not only increasing our capacity to serve a rapidly growing market but also ensuring that our partners and customers can rely on the consistent quality, scalability, and regulatory compliance that advanced therapies demand.
Our teams have already demonstrated strong technical expertise with this platform," said Thierry Bettinger, Director of Bracco Research Center Geneva.
These upgrades allow us to scale production while maintaining rigorous quality standards as we prepare for GMP-compliant manufacturing.
Bracco's Geneva-based R&D facility has maintained GMP certification from Swissmedic, the Swiss health authority, for nearly three decades.
The newly announced upgrades are designed to align the site with evolving GMP expectations, support ongoing nonclinical studies and prepare the company for scaled production of ancillary materials used in advanced cell therapy workflows.