SEATTLE, Oct. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Umoja Biopharma, Inc., a transformative immuno-oncology company creating off-the-shelf treatments for solid and hematologic cancers, announced today the opening of its new development and manufacturing facility, The Colorado Laboratory & Innovative Manufacturing Building (The CLIMB) in Louisville, Colo. The facility is designed to accelerate the development of Umoja’s therapeutic candidates.
The CLIMB will support the in-house development of the Company’s unique technology, ensure the quality of lentiviral vector products for use in clinical trials, and serve as the foundation for a reliable, dependable, and flexible supply chain. The initial facilities encompass 77,000 square feet and include state-of-the-art labs, offices, and manufacturing space for lentiviral vector production, with the opportunity for expansion to 146,000 square feet to match future supply needs. The Company anticipates its first manufacturing run of clinical material in the first quarter of 2024.
“As we advance our therapeutic candidates to the clinic and enter the next stage of growth, the ability to scale our products becomes increasingly vital to our mission of improving patient access by eliminating the wait times, cost, and complexity of today’s cell therapies,” said Ryan Crisman, Ph.D., co-founder, and Chief Technical Officer of Umoja. “The opening of the CLIMB underscores our commitment to developing and commercializing scalable gene therapies to make a meaningful impact on the lives of patients around the world.”
Sally Dyer, Senior Vice President, and General Manager of Colorado Operations at Umoja, added, “Louisville, Colorado, provides a unique combination of highly educated and skilled talent, unparalleled work-life balance, and a supportive community that makes it the perfect location for our lentiviral vector development and manufacturing facility. The combination of our expert team and world-class facilities positions us to deliver on our mission. We are thrilled to be a part of this vibrant and dynamic community in Colorado as we work together to bring life-changing therapies to patients and their families.”
About Umoja Biopharma
Umoja Biopharma, Inc. is an early clinical-stage company advancing an entirely new approach to immunotherapy. The Company is a transformative multi-platform immuno-oncology company founded with the goal of creating curative treatments for solid and hematological malignancies. Founded based on pioneering work performed at Seattle Children’s Research Institute and Purdue University, Umoja’s novel approach is powered by integrated cellular immunotherapy technologies including the VivoVec™ off-the-shelf in vivo delivery platform and the RACR™/CAR in vivo cell expansion/control platform. Designed from the ground up to work together, these platforms are being developed to create and harness a powerful immune response in the body to directly, safely, and controllably attack cancer. Umoja believes that its approach can provide broader access to the most advanced immunotherapies and enable more patients to live better, fuller lives. To learn more, visit http://umoja-biopharma.com/.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements about Umoja Biopharma, Inc. (the “Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our”). The Company has based these forward-looking statements largely on its current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about future events and financial trends that it believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. In light of the significant uncertainties in these forward-looking statements, you should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to vary materially, including, among others, the risks inherent in drug development such as those associated with the initiation, cost, timing, progress and results of the Company’s current and future research and development programs, preclinical and clinical trials, as well as any economic, market and social disruptions. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason.
Umoja Media Contact:
Karissa Cross, Ph.D.
LifeSci Communications
kcross@lifescicomms.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6e829749-6894-41d2-af87-03b742f6d748
