Welsh firm announces stem cell logistics joint venture

Biotec Services International, a leader in clinical trials supply chain management, has announced a joint venture with AwenID, a Swansea University Life Sciences spin-out company, to develop technology that increases efficiency and reduces risk in stem cell therapies.

The new joint venture company, TrakCel, will develop tracking technology for the full lifecycle of stem cell-based therapies, to help ensure that patients receive the correct treatment at the right time and location.

Efficient and controlled delivery of stem cells is critical as they have a very short life span and need to be transported, manufactured and re-introduced to patients in a safe, controlled and scalable way.

TrakCel’s technology will also provide physicians with the ability to track the movements and temperatures of cell-based therapies and ensure the cells have the best opportunity of being successfully re-introduced to patients.

Keren Winmill, chief executive officer of Biotec Services International, said: “We’re committed to leading the world in supply chain management. The technology and solutions we envisage for the future will be made possible through innovation and focus at TrakCel.”

The Joint Venture has been supported by the Welsh Government Research, Innovation and Development Grant.

AwenID brings its patent pool and significant expertise in designing, developing and integrating identification, automation and tracking technologies including Biometrics, RFID, AutoID, GPS, GPRS, 4G and wireless technologies to the partnership.

Kevin Smith, a director of AwenID, and newly-appointed chief executive officer of the joint venture, said: “We’re all hugely excited at the opportunities that lie ahead for TrakCel. Biotec’s heritage in clinical trial supply chain management allied to AwenID’s proven capability and patent-pool in automation and tracking, will solve some key challenges for the nascent cell therapy industry as it begins to scale-up and scale-out globally.”

Management structure and a senior design team are currently in place for TrakCel, with the company planning to announce progress of technology development in the autumn of 2013.