Press / media

PlasmidFactory GmbH and the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to combine expertise in cell therapy process development and GMP manufacturing, aiming to accelerate non-viral cell and gene therapies for the benefit of patients.

Prof. Dr. Stephan Fricke, Head of the Department of Cell and Gene Therapy Development at the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI, has been appointed to the new professorship in Clinical Immunology and Cell Therapy at Magdeburg University Hospital, effective October 1, 2025. At the same time, he will also assume leadership of the Institute for Clinical Immunology and Cell Therapy at the University of Magdeburg.

Fraunhofer IZI is part of the EU consortium EASYGEN. Coordinated by Fresenius, 18 industrial and academic partners are working together to develop an integrated and automated manufacturing platform for the decentralized production of CAR-T cell therapeutics. In this context, Fraunhofer IZI contributes its expertise in the development and manufacturing of CAR-T cell therapies as well as various other cell-based therapeutics. EASYGEN is funded by the EU under the Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking (IHI JU).

The first patient was treated with a new CAR-T cell therapy as part of the LION-1 phase I clinical trial at the University Hospital of Würzburg.