Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult and Asymptote sign licence agreement for cell-based therapy thawing system

Published: 8-Apr-2016

The delivery of cryogenically preserved cell-based therapies presents unique challenges to the industry, including both manufacturers and clinicians


The Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, an organisation dedicated to the growth of the UK cell and gene therapy industry by bridging the gap between scientific research and commercialisation, and Asymptote, a specialist in cryopreservation, have announced a licensing agreement for a novel point-of-care thawing system for cell-based therapies.

The Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult will license all foreground IP generated by this collaboration to Asymptote. As a result, Asymptote will be able to commercialise the product to the wider international cell therapy market.

 

A family of vial and bag thawing devices has been developed during the last 12 months by both the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult and Asymptote. They have been designed to optimise the thawing process and simplify the delivery of cell therapies to patients to address the significant challenges of point-of-care delivery.

‘The development and licensing deal between the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult and Asymptote will enable the commercialisation of a cellular thawing system that will bring advanced cell-based therapies closer to patient accessibility,’ said Keith Thompson, CEO, Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult. ‘This sort of collaboration project, in which we can help innovative companies to develop technology so that it’s ready for commercialisation, is exactly what the Catapult is set up for.’

‘The delivery of cryogenically preserved cell-based therapies presents unique challenges to the industry, including both manufacturers and clinicians,’ said Dr John Morris, CEO, Asymptote.

‘We are now preparing for the commercial launch of the new devices, with the first in the family expected to be on the market before the end of the year. We see this technology as a big step forwards for the cell and gene therapy industry as it fills in an important gap in the cryochain, helping to guarantee that cell-based therapies reach patients in perfect condition for an effective treatment,’ he added.

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