Castle Creek acquires Novavita to expand cell and gene therapy platform

US clinical stage cell and gene therapy company Castle Creek Biosciences says it has acquired Novavita Thera, a pre-clinical gene therapy company focused on rare liver and metabolic diseases.

The acquisition, financial terms of which were not disclosed, expands Castle Creek's technology platform by adding in vivo capabilities to its existing ex vivo approach, and broadens Castle Creek's development pipeline beyond skin and connective tissue disorders to rare liver diseases.

"This acquisition is a significant inflection point for Castle Creek and positions us to expand our research and development efforts using a versatile, dual technology platform that will accelerate the discovery of disease-modifying and potentially curative therapies for people living with rare diseases," said Matthew Gantz, president and chief executive of Castle Creek, adding: "The ability to leverage both ex vivo and in vivo based approaches is a distinct advantage that few cell and gene therapy companies can offer. We are now in position to pursue new indications for devastating rare diseases, while also advancing our ongoing pivotal clinical trial in recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB)."