Miltenyi Biotec and South Korean firm CHA Biotech have announced a strategic collaboration to enhance CAR NK cell therapy manufacturing efficiency, combining Miltenyi Bioindustry (a Miltenyi Biotec division with expertise in lentiviral vector engineering and manufacturing) and CHA Biotech's expertise in NK cell research and clinical development.
Miltenyi Bioindustry will provide preclinical and GMP lentiviral vector (LVV) material using the company's proprietary baboon envelope (BaEV) platform, which enhances the efficiency and scalability of CAR NK cell therapy manufacturing.
Why this matters
CAR NK therapies are becoming increasingly popular due to their safety, low risk of graft-versus-host disease and potential for off-the-shelf production.
A key challenge in the field is efficiently transducing NK cells to enhance their therapeutic potential.
BaEV pseudotyped lentiviral vectors target ASCT1 and ASCT2 receptors on NK cells, achieving significantly higher gene delivery efficiency than conventional methods.
This leads to more consistent CAR NK products, better scalability and lower production costs.
Building capacity and strengthening the manufacturing foundation
The collaboration will support CHA Biotech to access BaEV pseudotyped LVV.
Boris Stoffel, Managing Director at Miltenyi Biotec, said: "We see a strong complement between CHA Biotech's scientific leadership and our strengths in our innovative lentiviral vector platform."
Working together allows us to improve how CAR NK therapies are developed and manufactured, with a clear focus on quality, scalability and patient needs.
Both companies are developing standardised and automated workflows covering the entire CAR NK production cycle – from genetic modification and cell expansion to purification and cryopreservation – to ensure consistent quality and efficient scale-up.
Su Youn Nam, Head of R&D Division, CHA Biotech, added: "CHA Biotech's engineered NK cell therapy portfolio is advancing through multiple development programmes, with a focus on global clinical development and strategic partnerships."
Working with Miltenyi Biotec strengthens our overall process and helps us build a more robust CAR NK manufacturing platform.
"It’s a partnership that supports our long-term goal of delivering new cancer treatments to patients without unnecessary delay."
Miltenyi Biotec and CHA Biotech stated that they aim to establish a reliable production pathway for next-generation CAR NK therapies and accelerate the availability of innovative treatment options for patients worldwide.