Lonza Houston, part of the Swiss-based life sciences group Lonza, has signed a strategic manufacturing agreement with bluebird bio, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based clinical-stage company specializing in gene therapies for severe genetic diseases and T cell-based immunotherapies for cancer. As part of the multi-year pact, Lonza will produce the US biotech firm’s Lenti-D and LentiGlobi drug candidates. This will entail completing the suite design, construction and validation along with process validation prior to anticipated commercial launch.

Lenti D is currently in a Phase 2/3 study, the Starbeam Study for treatment of cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy, and LentiGlobi BB305 is currently in three clinical studies for the treatment of transfusion-dependent ß-thalassemia, and severe sickle cell disease.

The production agreement for the two drug candidates follows what the companies said is a “successful multi-year clinical manufacturing relationship.” It will offer bluebird a path to commercial supply including dedicated production suites within Lonza’s state-of-the-art facility, currently under construction. The new facility will concentrate on clinical and commercial supply of viral vectors and virally-modified cell therapy products.

“This new strategic relationship with bluebird bio is an example of Lonza’s ability to be a long-term commercial partner to the cell & viral therapy industry,” said Marc Funk, COO, Lonza’s Pharma & Biotech segment.