US contract development and manufacturing organization Catalent has acquired MaSTherCell Global for $315 million cash, boosting its cell and gene therapy capabilities. The New Jersey-based company financed the purchase with the proceeds of an underwritten public offering of its common stock, which completed in early February.

The global CDMO with offices in the US state of Texas as well as Belgium offers a range of capabilities and technologies, including the development and manufacture of autologous and allogeneic cell therapies, as well as various related analytical services. Its experience includes therapies based on chimeric antibody receptor-engineered T cells, T cell receptors, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and mesenchymal stem cells.

“MaSTherCell extends our leadership position in the biotech industry, complements our leading gene therapy offering, and allows us to deliver comprehensive development, manufacturing, analytical, fill-finish, and clinical supply solutions for innovators across the large molecule space,” said Catalent chair and CEO John Chiminski.“Both autologous and allogeneic cell therapies provide important new treatment options, with a rising number expected to gain regulatory approval over the coming years.”

The acquisition adds a 25,000 square-foot (about 2,300 m2) clinical services facility in Gosselies, Belgium, plus a 32,000 square-foot (2,970 m2) facility in Houston, Texas, which is focused on development-scale projects and scheduled to open later this quarter.

An expansion of a 60,000 square-foot (55,740 m2) commercial-scale cell therapy production and fill-finish facility adjacent to the existing building in Gosselies is also under way and is scheduled to open in the autumn of 2021.

Founded in 2011, MaSTherCell, which is short for Manufacturing Synergies for Therapeutic Cells, is a spin-off from Belgium’s Université Libre de Bruxelles, which helps customers to bring cell therapy products to market faster.

The company has been a subsidiary of Orgenesis since June 2015, when the biopharma headquartered in the US state of Maryland bought MaSTherCell with the backing of private investor group Great Point Partners. All of MaSTherCell’s 240 employees, including its leadership team, have now become part of the Catalent Biologics business.

Catalent financed the purchase with the proceeds of an underwritten public offering of its common stock, which completed in early February.