On Aug. 10, 2020, CBR by Generate Life Sciences, the world’s largest private newborn stem cell bank, and NantKwest announced a collaboration to develop a COVID-19 treatment leveraging newborn stem cells. CBR will provide research-donated umbilical cord tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to NantKwest for efficient and robust expansion utilizing their proprietary modular, closed bioreactor system from NantKwest affiliate ImmunityBio.

Anticipating the emerging relevance of regenerative medicine, CBR was the first private stem cell bank to offer families the option of umbilical cord tissue cryopreservation and has developed a novel method to efficiently create a pure MSC cellular product from cryopreserved tissue suitable for on-demand manufacturing.  This collaboration leverages CBR’s incomparable size and industry leadership with NantKwest’s unique capability to rapidly scale the manufacture of a high-quality cellular therapy product, a particularly valuable asset given the emergent need for these biological resources in the ongoing fight against COVID-19.

NantKwest recently announced FDA authorization of its investigational new drug (IND) application utilizing allogeneic bone marrow (BM) derived MSCs and has initiated a Phase 1b trial to mitigate the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) resulting from severe COVID-19. Anticipating ever-increasing demand for these powerful cellular therapy products, the alliance with CBR will enable NantKwest to fast-follow their BM-based IND with an umbilical cord derived product, which is anticipated to expand the scope and impact of their series of planned clinical trials.