RoslinCT and Lykan Bioscience Combine to Create Leading Advanced Cell Therapy CDMO

Combination creates global leader in process development and GMP manufacturing of advanced cell and gene therapies with transatlantic footprint in the US and UK
Key leadership, staff and shareholders of both businesses will remain and have reinvested in the new entity, with a shared strategic vision for growth

London, UK – Global Healthcare Opportunities, or GHO Capital Partners LLP, the European specialist investor in global healthcare, acknowledges the announcement from its portfolio company RoslinCT, regarding a business combination agreement to form a global leading innovative advanced therapies CDMO.

RoslinCT, a cell and gene therapy Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisation (‘CDMO’) developing life-changing therapies in Edinburgh’s BioQuarter, and Lykan Bioscience (‘Lykan’), an innovative CDMO focused on cell-based therapies, today announced that they have entered into a business combination agreement to form a global leading innovative advanced therapies CDMO.

The combined group will offer process development expertise and cGMP manufacturing for a broad range of autologous and allogeneic cell therapies, with unparalleled expertise in gene editing and industry-leading induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (iPSC) capabilities.

The group will benefit from significantly expanded capacity, with process and analytical development laboratories and cGMP manufacturing facilities in Edinburgh, Scotland, and in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. Lykan has a 64,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art cell therapy manufacturing facility and innovation / development laboratories with 16 cGMP processing suites running by the end of 2022. Further laboratory and cGMP capacity expansion in Scotland is planned to build on RoslinCT’s existing 40,000 sq. ft facilities, including 8 cGMP suites.

With demand for high-quality development and manufacturing capacity increasing across the world, this complementary pairing of RoslinCT and Lykan will shorten development and manufacturing timelines for advanced therapy sponsors, facilitating clinical and commercial GMP product release on both sides of the Atlantic.

Earlier in 2022, Global Healthcare Opportunities, or GHO Capital Partners LLP (“GHO”), the European specialist investor in global healthcare, announced its investment in RoslinCT. As part of the new agreement, GHO is making a majority investment in Lykan and is backing the funding of the combined entity. WindRose Health Investors, previously the majority owner of Lykan Bioscience, have reinvested in the new combined group along with Lykan Management.

RoslinCT CEO Peter Coleman and Lykan President & CEO Patrick Lucy will remain in their current roles. Together, the new entity will have a global headcount of ~300 employees.

Peter Coleman, Chief Executive Officer of RoslinCT said: “This combination puts us in a strong position as a leading global CDMO in the process development and manufacturing of advanced cell therapies, and we look forward to working with our new colleagues at Lykan to fuel future growth and meet the increasing demand for innovative therapies.”

Patrick Lucy, President & Chief Executive Officer of Lykan Bioscience, commented: “We are delighted to combine with RoslinCT to better serve the growing demand for manufacturing capacity and expand the range of innovative services we can provide our partners to support the development of advanced cell and gene therapies.”

The Partners at GHO Capital, said, “This is a significant step towards the realisation of our shared ambition for RoslinCT and Lykan to build a leading global CDMO in the development and manufacture of advanced cell therapies. The collaboration represents an important step in the continued growth and internationalisation of the two businesses and we look forward to partnering with the combined Management teams and WindRose Health Investors to realise this vision.”

CJ Burnes, Partner at WindRose Health Investors, said, “Lykan has grown tremendously during our ownership, including completion of their state-of-the art facility and the subsequent doubling of cGMP manufacturing capacity. The combination of RoslinCT and Lykan will further accelerate this growth as it creates a unique platform providing key value-added services to the highly complex segment of advanced cell therapies and we look forward to partnering with GHO, RoslinCT and Lykan Management through this next phase.”