ScaleReady Announces multiple G-Rex® Grants have been awarded to leading investigators at Children's National Hospital

ST. PAUL, Minn., Oct. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- ScaleReady, in collaboration with Wilson Wolf Manufacturing, Bio-Techne Corporation (NASDAQ:TECH) and CellReady, announced four G-Rex Grants have been awarded to faculty members at Children's National Hospital. The funding, totaling $375,000, will support the optimization and translation of various cell and gene therapy initiatives into the clinic.

Dr. Patrick Hanley, Chief & Director of Cell Therapy, received a $100,000 G-Rex Grant to develop a G-Rex centric CAR-T cell manufacturing process as a nimble, flexible, and cost-effective alternative to their current approach that relies on complex and expensive capital equipment.

Dr. Michael Keller, Translational Research Laboratory – CETI Director, and Dr. Hanley, were co-recipients of a $150,000 G-Rex Grant to support the optimization of their current Virus Specific T cell (VST) and Tumor Antigen Associate T cell (TAAT) manufacturing processes, by transitioning into the optimized G-Rex "M" series bioreactors for functionally closed and semi-automated production. This will help minimize touchpoints and streamline VST and TAAT manufacturing.

Dr. Amy Hont, Oncologist in Pediatric Hematology, received a $75,000 G-Rex Grant to support process development and implementation of closed system G-Rex manufacturing of their novel ATTACK TAAT cell therapy for the treatment of various solid tumors.

Dr. Conrad Russell Cruz, Principal Investigator, received a $50,000 G-Rex Grant to support process development and optimization of a G-Rex centric process for manufacturing CAR-modified TAAT cells for treatment of various solid tumors.

"This effort reflects the importance of working together to move promising cell and gene therapies from the lab to the patients who need them most. We're thankful for the support and eager to continue this important work," said Dr. Hanley.

"Children's National has been a leader in pediatric cell and gene-modified cell therapies (CGT) for many years. Having been in this field for decades and seeing the current headwinds the field faces, it's an honor and a privilege to be able provide G-Rex Grant funding to these highly accomplished individuals that are pioneering advancements in pediatric oncology," said John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Wolf and co-inventor of the G-Rex technology.

ScaleReady's G-Rex Grant Program has now surpassed $40M of no-cost product commitments to grant recipients with the goal of advancing the state of cell and gene-modified cell therapy (CGT) development and manufacturing. Individual Grant Awards are worth up to $300,000. G-Rex Grant Recipients also gain access to exclusive support from ScaleReady's growing consortium of G-Rex Grant Partners who bring best-in-class tools and technologies as well as unparalleled knowledge and expertise in the areas of cGMP manufacturing, quality and regulatory affairs, CGT business operations, and more.

Importantly, ScaleReady has just introduced yet another FREE program to accelerate the universal presence of highly efficient and scalable CGT manufacturing. Under this program ScaleReady has partnered with Hanson Wade to launch an event series called LEAN Cell & Gene™. All CGT entities are invited to attend and will learn how to systematically identify and eliminate waste, stabilize business operations, increase drug product quality and supply, and develop a LEAN approach to cell and gene therapy development and manufacturing.

For more information about the G-Rex® Grant Program, please contact [email protected].

For more information about LEAN Cell & Gene™, please use this link to register for the free event series.

About ScaleReady

ScaleReady provides the field of cell and gene-modified cell therapy (CGT) with a G-Rex centric manufacturing platform that enables the world's most practical, flexible, scalable, and affordable CGT drug product development and manufacturing.

The G-Rex manufacturing platform is currently used by a rapidly growing list of over 800 organizations and is producing drug products for approximately 50% of CGT clinical trials as well as 5 commercially approved CGT drugs.

CGT entities relying on the breadth and scope of ScaleReady's expertise can expect to save years of time and millions of dollars on the path to CGT commercialization.

For more information about the ScaleReady G-Rex® Grant Program, please contact [email protected].

About Wilson Wolf Manufacturing

Wilson Wolf (www.wilsonwolf.com) is dedicated to simplifying cell and gene-modified cell (CGT) therapy research, process development, and manufacturing. This is being accomplished through its scalable G-Rex technology, which is used throughout the world in CGT applications ranging from basic research to commercial drug production.

Wilson Wolf's mission is to create hope for cancer patients, one G-Rex® device at a time.

About Bio-Techne Corporation

Bio-Techne Corporation (NASDAQ:TECH) is a global life sciences company providing innovative tools and bioactive reagents for the research and clinical diagnostic communities. Bio-Techne, in partnership with Wilson Wolf, is creating products such as media and cytokines that are specifically tailored to G-Rex® Bioreactors, including right-sized reagent quantities in containers that are tailored to high throughput closed-system manufacturing. For more information on Bio-Techne and its brands, please visit https://www.bio-techne.com or follow the Company on social media at LinkedIn, X, or YouTube.

Contact: David Clair, Vice President, Investor Relations & Corporate Development

[email protected]

612-656-4416

About CellReady LLC

CellReady is the world's first and only G-Rex centric contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) specializing in G-Rex based cell and gene-modified cell therapy development and manufacturing. The company offers a wide range of services to support the development and commercialization of these therapies.

CellReady's mission is to create hope for cancer patients, one G-Rex® process at a time.

About Children's National Hospital

Children's National Hospital, based in Washington, D.C., was established in 1870 to help every child grow up stronger. Today, it is one of the top 10 children's hospitals in the nation and ranked in all specialties evaluated by U.S. News & World Report. Children's National is transforming pediatric medicine for all children. The Children's National Research & Innovation Campus opened in 2021, a first-of-its-kind pediatric hub dedicated to developing new and better ways to care for kids. Children's National has been designated four times in a row as a Magnet^® hospital, demonstrating the highest standards of nursing and patient care delivery. This pediatric academic health system offers expert care through a convenient, community-based primary care network and specialty care locations in the D.C. metropolitan area, including Maryland and Virginia. Children's National is home to the Children's National Research Institute and Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation. It is recognized for its expertise and innovation in pediatric care and as a strong voice for children through advocacy at the local, regional and national levels. In 1987, Children's National founded Safe Kids Worldwide, a non-profit dedicated to reducing unintentional injuries among children through comprehensive national and global education, research and advocacy. As a non-profit, Children's National relies on generous donors to help ensure that every child receives the care they need.

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SOURCE Bio-Techne Corporation