A program that supports young stem cell companies is launching a new funding opportunity to increase cell therapy manufacturing capacity in Maryland after seeing its state funding more than double.
The new manufacturing assistance program from the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund will help companies build clean rooms and other essential manufacturing facilities to create stem cell drugs.
The program is a result of a massive increase in state money to the fund, which is a subsidiary of the Maryland Technology Development Corp. (TEDCO). The fund's budget has more than doubled, from $8.2 million in fiscal year 2022 to $20.5 million in fiscal year 2023, said Amritha Jaishankar, the fund's executive director. The additional funding comes in part from Gov. Larry Hogan's $216 million cancer moonshot initiative and provides the fund with the financial resources necessary for the manufacturing program. Jaishankar plans to also increase the amount of money devoted to the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund's clinical and commercialization funds, along with more grants in all seven of its funding categories.
The lack of manufacturing facilities is one of the reasons innovative cell therapy treatments are expensive, Jaishankar said. There is often a bottleneck in the development of new treatments since manufacturing capacity has not increased fast enough to accommodate demand. The new program can give up to a million dollars in an individual grant, which has to be matched by non-state money. The facility is required to be operational within 24 months of the grant.
"Manufacturing has been the missing piece for a while," Jaishankar said.
Stem cell therapies are often personalized for each individual patient, making local capacity even more important compared to other drugs. Small companies often end up outsourcing their manufacturing, which increases the costs of operating a business and creates a missed opportunity for job creation within the state.
"Eventually, most companies like to be able to own the process of producing their own clinical product. And in the long run, it's very cost-effective," Jaishankar said.
The deadline to apply for the fund is Jan.19, 2023.
The new investment comes amid a period of growth for the cell therapy industry in Baltimore. Johns Hopkins Medicine recently partnered with Germantown biotech Orgenesis to create the Maryland Center for Cell Therapy Manufacturing, a 7,000-square-foot facility that will serve as a hub for companies and university researchers throughout Baltimore.
