ASGCT, OTXL partner to commercialize stalled rare disease therapies

The American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT) and the Orphan Therapeutics Accelerator (OTXL), a nonprofit biotech focused on completing development and enabling access to stalled rare disease treatments, announced a partnership to establish CGTxchange, a jointly owned entity that will serve as a clearinghouse and marketplace for deprioritized CGTs.

“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,” said David Barrett, CEO of ASGCT. “In partnership with OTXL, we are creating an entirely new way to ensure these CGTs find their way to organizations — whether companies, nonprofits or academic institutions — that are ready to take on the challenges of development and commercialization so patients may ultimately benefit.”

Using OTXL’s AI-based platform, CGT assets and related information can be input into a secure, searchable database and analyzed, generating listings and profiles of shelved therapies and providing risk-based assessments. From there, listed assets can be matched with prospective investors or partners in the marketplace, thereby expanding the potential to secure funding and new clinical sponsors.

Within the partnership, ASGCT will convene its network of CGT leaders, experts, donors and investors, while helping establish CGTxchange as the leading solution for currently ‘pre-viable’ CGT programs. OTXL will develop the platform for the clearinghouse and marketplace, contributing resources from its AI-based infrastructure and partner network to continue to build, adapt and scale the platform for CGT community adoption and use.

ASGCT and OTXL aim to initiate development of CGTxchange in early 2026, with a targeted mid-year launch and rollout.