Avectas Opens Canadian Development Site

• Avectas announces residency at Johnson & Johnson Innovation - JLABS @ Toronto, central to the Canadian bio-hub.
• Jessica Schwaber, PhD appointed Scientific Director of Cell and Gene Therapy.

DUBLIN, Nov. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Avectas, a cell engineering technology business, is pleased to announce it has been accepted to become a resident at Johnson & Johnson Innovation - JLABS @ Toronto. JLABS @ Toronto is a 40,000 square-foot life science innovation center. The labs provide a flexible environment for companies pursuing new technologies and research platforms, with the aim to advance medical care. Through a "no strings attached" model, Johnson & Johnson Innovation does not take an equity stake in the companies occupying JLABS and the companies are free to develop products - either on their own, or by initiating a separate external partnership or collaboration with Johnson & Johnson Innovation or any other company. The company has also appointed Jessica Schwaber, PhD as Scientific Director of Cell and Gene Therapy who is the first member of our technical operations team at our Toronto site.

Avectas has developed SOLUPORE™, a patented, non-viral, cell engineering technology that achieves high transfection efficiency in a process that retains very high levels of cell viability and functionality. Avectas is partnering with cell and gene therapy companies to address emerging cell delivery challenges, particularly multiple cell modifications and engineering fragile or limited cells.

"This is an important step in Avectas' strategy of expanding its technical and business base in leading cell and gene therapy hubs. The Johnson & Johnson Innovation - JLABS site in Toronto provides Avectas with a flexible development environment and key additional resources to advance the SOLUPORE™ technology and importantly to best support our expanding network of partners," said Michael Maguire, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Avectas.

Dr. Maguire continued; "We are also excited to welcome Jessica Schwaber, PhD." Jessica joined Avectas in September as the Director of Cell & Gene Therapy. She brings extensive industry experience and knowledge in closed and automated cell therapy processes, analytical development and manufacturing of clinical stage cell therapies. Jessica earned a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Queensland and a BSc. in Chemical Engineering from Smith College.

About Avectas

Avectas is a cell engineering technology business developing a unique delivery platform to enable the ex-vivo manufacture of gene-modified cell therapy products, which have high in-vivo functionality. Its vision is to be a leading non-viral cell engineering technology enabler, integrated into manufacturing processes for multiple autologous and allogeneic therapies, commercialized through development and license agreements.

For more information, please visit the Company's website at www.avectas.com

SOURCE Avectas