Cell Therapy Catapult, an UK-based cell therapy company, has announced four separate collaborations with multiple-partners to deliver health and wealth to the UK through support from Innovate UK, formerly the Technology Strategy Board. The collaborations are with Plasticell, TAP Biosystems, Azellon, and Athersys.

The agreement with Plasticell is a further investment in a therapeutic program using CombiCult, a high throughput stem cell technology designed to solve bottlenecks in regenerative medicine development. The consortium also includes the University of Oxford. This will allow the group to develop a process to expand cord blood stem cells ex vivo using Plasticell's media.

TAP Biosystems, which is part of Sartorius Stedim Biotech Group, is developing with the Cell Therapy Catapult, a small-scale, single-use bioreactor that can be applied to cell therapy applications and to liaise with regulatory agencies on the levels of validation required for the system to be adopted into good manufacturing practice (GMP) facilities.

In the third deal, Azellon will develop an improved product and manufacturing process suitable for commercialization for its cell bandage for repair of torn meniscus. Other members of the consortium include the University of Liverpool and NHS Blood and Transplant. And in the fourth pact, Athersys will support a Phase IIa clinical study evaluating the administration of MultiStem cell therapy to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients. ARDS is a serious immunological and inflammatory condition characterised by widespread inflammation in the lungs. The deal will provide support over the course of the study, which will be conducted by Athersys Limited at leading clinical sites in the UK in conjunction with the Cell Therapy Catapult.

Source: Cell Therapy Catapult