The collaboration between NorthX and Mendus was initiated in 2023, when they entered into a strategic alliance to establish scalable, GMP-compliant cell therapy manufacturing in Sweden. The project, co-financed by life science investor Flerie, was designed to support late-stage clinical development and future commercialization of vididencel, Mendus’ immunotherapy targeting tumor recurrence in AML and other cancers.

“This partnership has gone beyond traditional manufacturing,” says Janet Hoogstraate, CEO of NorthX Biologics. “Through open and transparent collaboration, we’ve built not only a cell therapy infrastructure but also mutual capabilities. Together, we’ve grown stronger, technically, operationally, and strategically. Achieving GMP readiness and delivering clinical-grade material for Mendus’ upcoming clinical trials is a shared success story rooted in trust and innovation.”

Two years of close collaboration

For two years, NorthX Biologics and Mendus have collaborated closely to adapt NorthX Biologics’ GMP facilities for allogeneic cell therapy production, perform tech transfer of the vididencel process, and manufacture clinical batches in accordance with stringent regulatory standards. The process development and manufacturing journey has reinforced Sweden’s position as a hub for advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) and enabled Mendus to accelerate its oncology pipeline, they describe.

“With the establishment of large-scale GMP production, we’re delivering on an important milestone for the vididencel program,” says Mendus CEO Erik Manting. “Reliable manufacturing is central to advance our clinical trials and go-to-market strategy in AML and CML. This milestone demonstrates the maturity of the vididencel production process and strength of our partnership with NorthX Biologics. It reflects the execution focus that defines Mendus, as we continue to build clinical momentum.”