Akadeum Life Sciences Announces Two New Microbubble Kits at Advanced Therapies Week
Published on Jan 17, 2024 Share
The Human T Cell Selection, Activation, and Expansion and Human T Cell Depletion kits use Akadeum’s BACS™ microbubbles to streamline cell therapy workflows.
ANN ARBOR, MI, Jan 16, 2024 – Today, Akadeum Life Sciences, the market leader in buoyancy-based cell separation is announcing the release of a Human T Cell Selection, Activation, and Expansion Kit (GMP Grade), and a Human T Cell Depletion Kit (GMP Grade) at the Advanced Therapies Week on Jan 16. The kits add to Akadeum’s market-leading product portfolio in flotation-based technology, taking the company’s products one step further toward clinical trials. In 2024, CAR T cell therapy can cost anywhere between $500,000 and $1 million per patient, predominantly because of the steep expense that existing manufacturing processes like magnets and columns require. The Human T Cell Selection, Activation, and Expansion and Human T Cell Depletion kits will provide CDMOs, cell and gene therapy companies, and researchers the improved cell therapy workflows and cost-savings that existing methods of cell separation cannot provide.
Unlike microbubbles, magnetic beads and columns are limited in their selection capacity and can damage more sensitive cell types, potentially decreasing cell viability and risking population integrity.
The Human T Cell Selection, Activation, and Expansion kit isolates and extracts highly pure populations of T cells and activates them for use in cell therapy workflows. By mixing the product into a sample, microbubbles positively select and bind to cells expressing CD3 and CD28, gently floating them to the surface of the mixture. The kit beats the efficiency of magnetic methods of selection, activation, and expansion by providing reduced cell exhaustion, increased numbers of activated T cell populations, and a highly scalable solution that fits into a variety of cell therapy workflows.
The Human T Cell Depletion kit removes non-gene-edited cells from CAR T manufacturing cultures. The product positively selects unwanted T cells, leaving a highly pure and untouched sample of engineered cells ready for downstream formulation. The robust depletion kit allows for the increased recovery of gene-edited cells and maintains the improved health of the cell therapy product.
Casey Wegner, Vice President of R&D at Akadeum commented on the announcement: “Our innovative new GMP-compliant separation kits not only yield an unparalleled number of healthy cells, but provide a quicker and more cost-effective solution, expanding the horizon of possibility for researchers currently limited by time and cost constraints.”
“Cell and gene therapy companies utilizing magnetic beads and columns in their workflows will now be at a competitive disadvantage. Harnessing the power of gravity, Akadeum’s eco-friendly, gentle flotation technology rapidly produces healthy cells, empowering researchers to increase the accessibility and efficiency of CAR T cell therapy.”
About Akadeum Life Sciences, Inc.
Akadeum Life Sciences was formed to solve long-standing sample preparation problems in research, diagnostics, and cell therapy markets with a novel flotation-based target isolation platform technology. Without the critical step of separation (isolating biological targets like DNA, proteins, or cells from biological samples), many diagnostics and therapies are not possible. More than a solution
to a single problem, this elegantly simple platform is disrupting the separation market—from nucleic acid extraction to cell isolation. Akadeum was the first to commercialize BACS™ (buoyancy activated cell sorting) microbubble kits for cell isolation applications. In parallel, Akadeum is actively establishing industry partnerships and collaborations. Akadeum’s kits are available in Research Use Only and as GMP-grade configurations. Inquire about Akadeum’s products, technology, or partnership opportunities at sales@akadeum.com.