Bharat Biotech arm Nucelion inks manufacturing pact with Pandorum to develop ophthalmology therapies
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Hyderabad-based Nucelion Therapeutics, a contract development and manufacturing organization that focuses on cell and gene therapy has announced a partnership with Bengaluru-headquartered Pandorum Technologies to develop investigational therapies for advanced keratopathy and wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD).
The two projects have a combined planned outlay of ₹16.97 crore, comprising up to ₹8 crore in funding under the central government’s Promotion of Research and Innovation in Pharma-MedTech Sector (PRIP) scheme.
Nucelion is a wholly-owned subsidiary of leading Indian vaccine maker Bharat Biotech. Pandorum is a tissue engineering and regenerative medicine startup that is developing cell-free regenerative medicines based on designer exosomes that carry biological signals involved in communication between cells. The biological activity of these exosomes is tuned to address inflammation, fibrosis, and vascular pathology while supporting tissue repair. The platform connects the manufacturing process, the product, its biological activities and the corresponding tissue response in an integrated learning loop.
Through its collaboration with Nucelion, Pandorum is connecting programmable regenerative-medicine design with reproducible manufacturing and indication-specific development—while building that capability in India with national research support.
“Advanced therapies require process development, analytical methods and manufacturing discipline to progress together. Our role is to help translate Pandorum’s product requirements into reproducible processes and development-stage manufacturing, with quality built into the work from the outset. This collaboration brings complementary capabilities together to advance complex biologics within India’s growing advanced-therapies ecosystem," said Dr. Raghu Malapaka, Chief Business Officer, Nucelion Therapeutics.
Nucelion’s role in the two investigational ophthalmology projects will centre on process development and manufacturing support for Pandorum’s designer exosomes, aligned with the requirements and development stage of each programme. This partnership reflects the role specialised manufacturing capabilities can play in the development of emerging regenerative medicines. The broader Pandorum–Nucelion collaboration is intended to provide material manufactured under Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) for clinical studies in India and abroad, subject to applicable regulatory approvals.
The advanced-keratopathy programme by Pandorum is directed towards clinical evaluation of investigational therapies for severe corneal disease. The wet-AMD programme extends the platform into retinal disease, with its current project focused on preclinical development and preparation for subsequent clinical translation. Each programme will advance according to its own evidence, milestones and regulatory requirements. The two projects reflect the potential of India’s research and manufacturing ecosystem to advance new approaches to treating eye diseases.
“A regenerative medicine has to do more than show promise in the laboratory: its biological activity must be reproducible, and its effects must be evaluated in the right patients. PRIP support enables us to advance two distinct ophthalmology programmes through a common designer-exosome platform. Our collaboration with Nucelion connects that platform to the manufacturing capability needed for rigorous development, with the goal of restoring tissue function and improving patients’ lives. We also see this collaboration as an opportunity to advance our shared vision of ‘Innovate and Make in India, for the World’," said Dr. Tuhin Bhowmick, Co-founder and CEO, Pandorum Technologies.