ENCell, a Korean company specializing in cell and gene therapy contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) services, said Thursday that it has signed a contract manufacturing organization (CMO) agreement with a global top-tier pharmaceutical company.

The details of the contract remain confidential due to a non-disclosure agreement between the two parties.

An ENCell official confirmed that the company has previously provided CMO services to global pharmaceutical giants such as Novartis and Janssen, and that this new agreement secures another major client. 

"ENCell is the only company in Korea with GMP-certified facilities capable of producing both cells and viruses simultaneously," the official said. “Through our one-stop service and differentiated production and quality management systems, ENCell offers optimal CDMO solutions.”

In addition, ENCell began a high-dose cohort of its EN001 phase 1b clinical trial for Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1A (CMT1A) patients in December. 

Having confirmed the safety and exploratory therapeutic effects in the low-dose cohort, the company expects similar results from the high-dose cohort, which is twice the dose. Following the completion of patient administration by the end of the year, ENCell plans to accelerate the transition to phase 2 of the trial.