Xcell Biosciences

Xcell Biosciences is a San Francisco-based instrumentation company focused on developing innovative technologies for cell and gene therapy applications. The company's flagship product is the AVATAR incubator system, which enables precise control of oxygen concentration and pressure on cells in culture. This allows researchers to model the hypoxic, high-pressure environment found in solid tumors and metabolically reprogram therapeutic cells to enhance their potency and persistence in the suppressive tumor microenvironment (TME).

Building on the AVATAR platform, Xcell Biosciences has developed two additional systems: the AVATAR Ai for measuring cell therapy potency, and the AVATAR Foundry for cGMP cell therapy manufacturing. The AVATAR Foundry is designed to improve the manufacturability and potency of engineered T-cell receptor (TCR) and CAR-T cell therapies by reducing manufacturing times and utilizing non-viral workflows. This system aims to produce more scalable and cost-effective therapies, particularly for solid tumors where current cell therapies have shown limited efficacy.

Xcell Biosciences' technology has demonstrated the ability to enhance CAR-T cell expansion, viral transduction, and potency. The company's platforms address the cell therapy development continuum from early discovery through GMP manufacture, allowing researchers to gain insights into immune and tumor biology, assess candidate therapies in physiologically relevant environments, and metabolically reprogram therapeutic cells for enhanced function. In January 2022, Xcell Biosciences raised USD 27.5 million in Series B financing to advance production of its cell manufacturing platform and support its growing customer base.

Key customers and partnerships

Xcell Biosciences has established collaborations with several major players in the cell and gene therapy field. In April 2022, the company announced a partnership with Labcorp to improve the efficiency and safety of cell and gene therapy manufacturing. This collaboration has since expanded to include the exploration of cell types beyond CAR-T cells and the development of cell-based potency assays incorporating critical TME factors.

In January 2024, Xcell Biosciences entered into a collaboration with ElevateBio to explore novel approaches for improving therapeutic potency of cell and gene therapies. As part of this partnership, ElevateBio became the first member of Xcellbio's beta program for the AVATAR Foundry device.

Most recently, in May 2024, Xcell Biosciences partnered with AmplifyBio, a contract development and manufacturing organization, to streamline and improve the manufacturing process for engineered T-cell receptor (TCR) therapies targeting solid tumors. This collaboration aims to demonstrate how the AVATAR Foundry can improve the manufacturability and potency of engineered TCRs, with plans to file an IND for an HPV-positive tumor-targeting therapy.