The American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT) and the Orphan Therapeutics Accelerator (OTXL) have announced a partnership to create CGTxchange, a new marketplace aimed at reviving cell and gene therapies (CGTs) that have been deprioritized by the biopharma industry.
The joint venture responds to recent policy and economic changes that have led many biopharma sponsors to halt development of hundreds of CGTs. These therapies, while showing benefits in trials, are often considered commercially unviable under current industry standards.
CGTxchange will use OTXL's AI-based platform to build a secure database where information about shelved CGT assets can be stored, analyzed, and matched with potential investors or partners. This approach is intended to help find new clinical sponsors and funding for these therapies.
David Barrett, CEO of ASGCT, stated: "At ASGCT, we have observed that a host of cell and gene therapies are being set aside not because they lack clinical merit, but rather due to the challenges of commercializing these therapies once approved. In partnership with OTXL, we are creating an entirely new way to ensure these CGTs find their way to organizations – whether companies, non-profits or academic institutions – that are ready to take on the challenges of development and commercialization so patients may ultimately benefit."
Craig Martin, CEO of OTXL, added: "Typical venture capital and biopharma expectations for returns are set well above what most CGTs for ultra-rare diseases can meet in light of recent policy and market shifts. Yet many of these shelved therapies can still offer meaningful returns to the right partners, as well as tremendous benefits to patients. This partnership allows us to surface high-quality, clinical-stage CGT programs to investors and organizations whose missions, timelines and objectives align with what these therapies can deliver."
Within this collaboration, ASGCT will use its network in the field while OTXL develops the digital platform for the clearinghouse. The two organizations plan to begin work on CGTxchange in early 2026 with an expected launch later that year.
