Sartorius has launched a new platform designed to address manufacturing and quality control challenges in autologous cell therapies, including CAR-T production.

The Germany-based life science group said its Eveo Cell Therapy Platform integrates multiple production steps into a single system, aiming to improve efficiency, scalability and cost in cell therapy manufacturing. The platform combines cell processing, analytical tools and software within a modular, closed setup.

Autologous cell therapies remain difficult to scale due to complex, labour-intensive processes and reliance on highly controlled facilities. These constraints have limited patient access and contributed to high treatment costs, particularly in CAR-T therapies. Sartorius said its new system is designed to address these structural challenges by enabling more streamlined and flexible manufacturing.

René Fáber, member of the executive board at Sartorius, said: “Cell therapies are redefining medical possibilities. Yet, they remain accessible to only a small share of patients because manufacturing is complex, capacity-constrained and therefore expensive.” He added that integrating materials, equipment and quality control into a single system could help expand output and reduce costs.

The Eveo platform incorporates steps including cell selection, activation, gene modification, expansion and final formulation within a closed process. It also integrates quality control technologies such as live cell imaging and flow cytometry, which are intended to address bottlenecks in product testing and release.

According to Sartorius, the system’s compact design allows it to be deployed within existing cleanroom environments and operated with current staff. The company said this could support both centralised and decentralised manufacturing approaches, potentially reducing the need for new facility build-outs.

In a pilot project with cell therapy CDMO ElevateBio, the platform performed in line with expectations, Sartorius said. The multi-parallel configuration allows a single operator to manage up to eight patient batches simultaneously in the same cleanroom space typically used for two batches.

Based on internal modelling, Sartorius said the system could enable production of more than 350 doses per year in a footprint that currently supports around 100 doses. The company added that manufacturing costs could be reduced by up to 90 percent in CAR-T processes, although these estimates have not yet been validated at commercial scale.

Manufacturing issues continue to represent a significant challenge in cell therapy production, with Sartorius citing that around 60 percent of regulatory disruptions are linked to process-related factors. By integrating production and analytical capabilities, the company said the Eveo platform is intended to reduce variability and improve consistency.

Sartorius plans to begin taking orders for the platform in September 2026, with initial deliveries expected in 2027. ElevateBio will be among the first partners to access the system for use with its manufacturing customers.

While the platform reflects ongoing efforts across the industry to industrialise cell therapy production, its impact will depend on broader adoption and performance in commercial settings.