OXB enters into licensing agreement with Viral Vector Manufacturing Facility (VVMF), providing access to its AAV and LV viral vector platforms
- Next step in a broader collaboration to support VVMF build viral vector manufacturing capabilities
Oxford, UK – 18 March 2026: OXB (LSE: OXB), a global quality and innovation-led cell and gene therapy CDMO, today announces that it has entered into a licensing and option agreement with Viral Vector Manufacturing Facility (VVMF), an Australian CDMO and the country’s first commercial manufacturing facility of its kind.
Further to the non-binding terms sheet signed in October 2025, this agreement provides VVMF with a worldwide, non-exclusive licence to OXB’s proprietary inAAVate™ platform know-how and intellectual property, with an option to extend the licence to its proprietary LentiVector™ platform. In return, OXB will receive a low single-digit million licence fee and is eligible for future payments related to the use of its platforms.
This five-year licence underpins the strategic collaboration between OXB and VVMF, enabling VVMF to accelerate its operational and commercial readiness to provide advanced viral vector technologies to customers, capturing global demand with a particular focus on the fast-growing APAC region, and positioning Australia as a regional hub for high-quality cell and gene therapy manufacturing.
By collaborating with VVMF, OXB is extending the global reach of its platforms, reinforcing its position as a trusted provider of viral vector development and manufacturing services. The agreement highlights the scalability and reliability of OXB’s platforms and technologies and reflects growing international recognition of its expertise.
Dr Sébastien Ribault, Chief Business Officer of OXB, said: “This agreement is a strong endorsement of OXB’s position as a world-leading viral vector CDMO. It demonstrates the robustness and adaptability of our platforms, technologies, and quality systems, enabling other organisations to benefit from the high standards we’ve established in viral vector manufacturing. Partnering with VVMF not only gives us a strategic foothold in Australia but also creates a launchpad to serve clients across the APAC region, further strengthening the global foundation for reliable AAV and lentiviral vector production”.
Stephen Thompson, Chief Executive Officer of VVMF, added: “Access to the OXB platforms gives us a strong foundation as we continue to build our capabilities, leveraging OXB’s expertise and global brand recognition to establish a leadership position in the APAC region. The collaboration will help us accelerate operational readiness and ensure our processes are aligned with recognised industry standards. We look forward to working closely with the OXB team as we establish reliable and scalable manufacturing capabilities.”
-Ends-
Enquiries:
OXB:
Sebastien Ribault, Chief Business Officer
T: +44 (0) 1865 783 000 / E: partnering@oxb.com
VVMF:
E: media@vvmf.com.au
ICR Healthcare:
T: +44 (0)20 3709 5700 / E: oxb@icrhealthcare.com
Mary-Jane Elliott / Angela Gray / Davide Salvi
About OXB
OXB (LSE: OXB) is a global quality and innovation-led contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) in cell and gene therapy with a mission to enable its clients to deliver life changing therapies to patients around the world.
One of the original pioneers in cell and gene therapy, OXB has 30 years of experience in viral vectors; the driving force behind the majority of cell and gene therapies. OXB collaborates with some of the world’s most innovative pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, providing viral vector development and manufacturing expertise in lentivirus, adeno-associated virus (AAV), adenovirus and other viral vector types. OXB’s world-class capabilities range from early-stage development to commercialisation. These capabilities are supported by robust quality-assurance systems, analytical methods and depth of regulatory expertise.
OXB offers a vast number of technologies for viral vector manufacturing, including a 4th generation lentiviral vector system (the TetraVecta™ system), a dual-plasmid system for AAV production, suspension and perfusion process using process enhancers and stable producer and packaging cell lines.
OXB, a FTSE250 and FTSE4Good constituent, is headquartered in Oxford, UK. It has development and manufacturing facilities across Oxfordshire, UK, Lyon and Strasbourg, France, Bedford MA, and Durham NC, US. Learn more at www.oxb.com and follow us on LinkedIn and YouTube.
About VVMF – Unlocking the Future of Medicine
Viral Vector Manufacturing Facility Pty. Ltd. (VVMF) is Australia’s only Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisation (CDMO) dedicated to providing services in the research, design, development, and manufacture of viral vectors for advanced therapeutic applications. VVMF partners with researchers, clinicians, and bio-pharma companies to accelerate the path to market for cell and gene therapies to local and global patients.
Viral vectors play a crucial role in delivering genetic material into cells and are central to innovative treatments in areas of medicine including cancers and rare diseases.
