By Cecilia Butini

Merck KgaA said Tuesday that it has launched a platform for the development of cell and gene therapies.

The German pharmaceutical and chemicals company said the platform, which is named VirusExpress, focuses on the production of lentiviruses as viral vectors, or vectors used to carry genetic material into cells, with a therapeutic goal.

According to the company, the technology allows for the reduction of processing development time and for increases in the cell dose available for patient use for each batch of virus.

Merck added that VirusExpress can be licensed flexibly so that companies can manufacture vectors using Merck's contract manufacturing capability, third-party contract development or in-house development.

Write to Cecilia Butini at cecilia.butini@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

10-13-20 0927ET