Cellares and Sonoma Biotherapeutics announced they will automate manufacturing for SonomaBio’s engineered Treg cell therapy SBT-77-7101 as the program advances in Phase I for poly-refractory rheumatoid arthritis. The companies said Cellares will translate the production process to its Cell Shuttle platform and implement automation for in-process and release testing through the Cell Q quality system. SonomaBio’s program uses engineered regulatory T cells, which are typically sensitive to manufacturing conditions, making reproducibility a central execution risk. Cellares highlighted infrastructure built for scale, including a commercial-scale Smart Factory in Bridgewater, New Jersey, with additional facilities planned in Europe and Japan. The agreement is positioned as a practical step toward making complex Treg manufacturing more consistent as engineered cell therapies move toward broader clinical and commercial demand.