Abstract

“Cell-in-a-Box® live cell encapsulation technology: clinical experience and applications for stem cells”

John Dangerfield, COO, Austrianova

Despite ever increasing investments into small molecule drug development, the output of new drugs continues to dramatically decrease. At the same we see biologics emerging as the future of medicine and cell therapy already has a major role to play in this. A large number of cell therapies, including stem cells, will however require some form of device, either to allow localisation of the cells at the site of implantation, protection from the patient’s immune system, protection for the patient from the implanted cells or the possibility to remove the cells after treatment. Austrianova has developed Cell-in-a-Box®, a world-wide unique technology and material which allows cell therapy products to be encapsulated into bio-inert polymer beads. Cell-in-a-Box® has been shown to be safe and efficacious for therapeutic applications in many animal models as well as in human clinical trials for pancreatic cancer and animals with breast cancer (pet dog patients). Moreover, Austrianova can also act as CMO to produce large scale GMP-grade encapsulated cell products whereby the final product can be cryopreserved for storage (without appreciable loss of viability of the cells) and distributed as an off-the-shelf cell therapy product. Austrianova works upstream with scientists to develop new application areas but our core business is to license the technology into specific areas of the biomedical, biotech, research, environmental, agricultural, veterinary and cosmetics industries (www.austrianova.com).