BioTech IP Review

Assignee: MaxCyte, Inc.
Application Publication Number: US 20250188494 A1
Filed: February 16, 2023
Publication Date: June 12, 2025
Inventor: Peter David Gee
Type: U.S. patent application publication (pending)

What This Patent Covers

This patent application describes an improved method for electroporating cells that aims to enhance cell viability and transgene expression — a crucial aspect of MaxCyte’s Flow Electroporation® platform used widely in research and commercial cell engineering workflows.

Key elements of the disclosed method include:

• Co‑electroporating cells with an anti‑apoptosis protein (e.g., BCL‑XL mRNA) to help reduce cell death during and after electroporation.
• DNase treatment after electroporation to improve cell recovery and transfection quality.
• Temperature modulation (e.g., cooling to ~32 °C) following electroporation to further boost cell survival and expression levels of introduced DNA.
• Methods that can be used to insert large DNA constructs (including those for gene editing tools like CRISPR) more efficiently while maintaining high viability — enabling better cell therapy and biologics production.

The innovation specifically addresses typical challenges in electroporation: balancing high delivery efficiency with minimal cell damage, which is essential for scalable, clinically relevant cell manufacturing.

Why This Is Important

• Core to MaxCyte’s business model: MaxCyte’s Flow Electroporation® and ExPERT™ platforms are licensed to multiple cell and gene therapy developers (e.g., Adicet Bio in 2025).
• Platform value driver: Enhancements in electroporation methods directly improve the efficiency and quality of engineered cells, boosting the appeal of MaxCyte’s tools in clinical and commercial cell therapy manufacturing.
• Supports revenue streams: The technology underpins strategic platform licenses (SPLs) with partners (licensing fees, milestones, and backend royalties) — key revenue sources for MaxCyte.
• Broad application: Improved electroporation benefits CAR‑T, TCR, NK cell and other engineered cell programs — giving MaxCyte leverage across the expanding cell therapy market.