Ori biotech adds traceability to cell therapy platform in deal with TrakCel

Ori Biotech has partnered with software firm TrakCel to add supply chain monitoring technology to its cell and gene therapy manufacturing system.

The non-exclusive deal – financial terms of which were not disclosed – will allow cell and gene therapy developers and contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs) that use the Ori platform to monitor manufacturing processes in real-time using Trakcel’s technologies.

The firms plan to develop “suitable points of integration in order for a shared data platform to be available to partners.”

Image: iStock/angelp

Ori co-founder and CSO Farlan Veraitch said, “The integration of TrakCel’s advanced therapy supply chain tracking software with the Ori full-stack platform is another step forward enabling our customers to have full visibility throughout the supply chain.”

This was echoed by Fiona Withey, co-founder and CEO, TrakCel.

She said, “Closed system manufacturing is becoming progressively more important for the ongoing future of the cell and gene therapy sector, and we look forward to working with Ori to offer more integrated solutions to the wider industry.”

Cell therapy

Ori’s technology is an automated, closed cell process system composed of a scalable bioreactor and fluid handling platform.

The platform is designed to help developers reduce the time and cost involved in making autologous cell therapies according to CEO Jason C. Foster who spoke with Bioprocess Insider in January.

The deal with Trakcel comes after a busy period for Ori.

In early January firm completed a $9.4M (£7M) Seed Round with backers including Amadeus Capital Partners, Delin Ventures and Kindred Capital. At the time Ori said it would use the proceeds to bring its manufacturing platform to market.

A few weeks later Ori announced it had partnered with Hitachi Chemical Advanced Therapeutics Solutions (HCATS), the contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) subsidiary of Hitachi Chemical Company.

The deal covered the development and commercialization of technology solutions specific to the cell and gene therapy industry.

Ori told us “The first external tests of the Ori platform begin in March 2020 with our CDMO partner, HCATS, and our two therapeutics developer partners.”

Read more: Ori: ‘Partnerships key to bring down cell therapy COGS’