$7.3M award supports next-generation healthcare logistics

CaseBioscience has joined a research consortium awarded up to US$7.3 million by the U.S. Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to develop technologies that could enable the storage and transportation of cell therapies at ambient temperatures.

The funding was awarded through ARPA-H’s BioStabilization Systems (BoSS) program, which aims to develop methods for producing, storing and shipping living cells without refrigeration. The project team, led by Likarda, is one of three groups selected for the initiative.

According to the organizations, the project will explore new approaches for preserving and transporting cellular medicines while reducing reliance on temperature-controlled logistics networks. The effort is intended to lower transportation costs and simplify distribution of advanced therapies.

“Cell therapies have demonstrated the potential to transform the treatment of cancer and other serious diseases, but their broader accessibility remains constrained in part by the complexity and cost of cold-chain logistics,” the company said.

The project’s initial phase will run for 15 months. Participating organizations include CaseBioscience, Draper, CPSI Biotech, Fresenius Kabi, Likarda, MiNK Therapeutics, and the University of Colorado Boulder.