Sartorius Stedim Biotech and Nanotein Partner to Boost Cell Therapy Manufacturing

Sartorius Stedim Biotech, a leading provider of solutions for the biopharmaceutical industry, has announced a new strategic partnership with Nanotein Technologies, a California-based biotech company specializing in next-generation immune cell activation reagents. The collaboration aims to accelerate innovation in cell therapy manufacturing.

As part of the agreement, Sartorius will invest up to $3 million for a minority stake in Nanotein to support the commercialization and co-development of products based on Nanotein’s proprietary NanoSpark platform.

Under an exclusive global distribution deal, Sartorius will now offer Nanotein’s flagship products — the NanoSpark STEM-T Soluble T Cell Activator and NanoSpark GROW-NK Soluble Activator. These reagents are designed to significantly improve the expansion and yield of T cells and natural killer (NK) cells, which are critical for the success of therapies such as CAR-T and NK-based cancer treatments.

“Nanotein’s soluble activators are designed to address key pain points in the manufacturing process by enhancing immune cell quality and enabling feeder-free NK cell expansion,” said Curtis Hodge, CEO and Co-Founder of Nanotein Technologies.

René Fáber, CEO of Sartorius Stedim Biotech, emphasized the partnership’s impact: “This collaboration gives our customers access to cutting-edge tools that simplify workflows and improve immune cell manufacturing. It enables faster and more confident development of next-generation cell therapies.”

Beyond product distribution, the companies will co-develop additional solutions for the rapidly evolving cell and gene therapy sectors, leveraging the NanoSpark® platform to expand their reach in a high-growth market.