Cellares and Sonoma Biotherapeutics agreed to automate manufacturing of SonomaBio’s engineered regulatory T cell therapy, SBT-77-7101 (currently in Phase I for poly-refractory rheumatoid arthritis after exhaustion of options). The companies plan to translate SonomaBio’s manufacturing process onto Cellares’ Cell Shuttle system and automate in-process and release testing. Cellares will use its Cell Q quality control platform to support automated testing and broader in-process monitoring. The agreement also leverages Cellares’ Smart Factory infrastructure in Bridgewater, New Jersey, with additional facilities under construction in Europe and Japan. The deal is aimed at addressing a known cell therapy bottleneck: Tregs are technically demanding to manufacture consistently, and process automation can help reduce variability across runs. Both companies framed the collaboration as enabling clinical ambitions at scale. For the market, the strategic signal is that engineered Treg programs are increasingly supported by manufacturing automation platforms, with scaling plans becoming part of the development story—not just a downstream necessity.