Multiply Labs, in partnership with Universal Robots (UR), has developed a modular robotic cluster that can reduce the cost of manufacturing life-saving cell and gene therapies by up to 74 percent while boosting cleanroom efficiency by as much as 100x more patient doses per square foot.

The breakthrough system leverages multiple UR collaborative robot arms working in parallel, stacked floor-to-ceiling with collision avoidance, to replicate manual processes. The result is a scalable alternative to today’s highly manual and “artisanal” manufacturing methods, where costs can range from USD 300,000 to USD 2 million per dose. 

Furthermore, the new robotic cluster significantly enhances quality, repeatability, and sterility compared to traditional manual processes. 

Fred Parietti, co-founder and CEO of Multiply Labs, noted that the production of personalised cell and gene therapies has long been “surprisingly manual, almost artisanal.” Expert scientists often perform hundreds of tasks by hand, from pipetting to shaking cells. Given the high cost of each dose, any manufacturing failure is costly.

"It absolutely is not scalable to reach the numbers of patients who need these medicines. We quickly realised that robots could really help here,” added Parietti.

Multiply Labs explained that they chose UR cobots due to their “human-like performance, crucial six-axis capabilities, unrivaled force mode for delicate handling, seamless software integration, robust community support, and cleanroom compatibility.”

The efficacy of the robotic process has been validated in peer-reviewed studies with leading institutions, including UCSF and Stanford. 

Jonathan Esensten, Director of the Advanced Biotherapy Center at Sheba Medical Center, called the findings a “quantum leap”.

"Where we compared a traditional manual manufacturing process for these cell therapies to a robotic process doing the exact same process, we found a cost reduction of approximately 74 percent," he said.

Beyond cost savings and space efficiency, the robotic system eliminates human error, delivering sub-millimeter accuracy (0.1 mm) and significantly tighter error bounds in process parameters. Sterility is also vastly improved. 

Multiply Labs' robotic clusters are already deployed in commercial partners' facilities.

According to Dr. Esensten, this innovation "will really change the way we think about the manufacturing of these bespoke, custom cell and gene therapies for patients, ultimately improving patient access globally.”