The American Red Cross’s Cell and Gene Therapy Solutions (CGTS) division, a leading provider of allogeneic cell therapy materials, has selected Accellix, Inc. to supply its automated flow cytometry platform for point-of-need testing. Accellix instruments and assays will be used at CGTS collection sites to improve the characterization of source materials for cell therapy development. As the cell therapy industry expands, the demand for reliable, high-quality source materials becomes more critical. The integration of Accellix technology into the Red Cross’s blood characterization workflows will support cell therapy companies throughout the development process.
Accellix, Inc., the developer of an automated flow cytometry platform for point-of-need testing, has partnered with the American Red Cross’s Cell and Gene Therapy Solutions (CGTS) division to provide rapid, accurate, and reproducible characterization of allogeneic blood donor materials for the growing cell therapy industry. Rey Mali, Chief Commercial Officer at Accellix, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, highlighting the importance of their automated platform in ensuring timely and reliable results. This partnership marks a significant step in Accellix’s mission to offer efficient quality control throughout the cell therapy development and manufacturing process.
The Red Cross’s Cell and Gene Therapy Solutions team is a key player in the expanding cell therapy field, offering essential support for both early-stage research and late-stage development. With over a decade of experience, the team utilizes its national network of FDA-approved collection centers to provide cell therapy companies with high-quality source materials, collection services, and customized testing capabilities. They are positioned as a single point of contact within a comprehensive apheresis network, which enables easy access to a diverse donor base and apheresis collections nationwide. This central role is critical in developing blood-based drug therapies.
As a leading provider of allogeneic collections, the Red Cross uses leukapheresis to collect leukopak products from healthy, pre-screened donors. These products are processed at FDA-approved centers and are essential for cell therapy research and development. By integrating Accellix’s platform, the Red Cross now characterizes leukopak products for various lymphocytes (T, B, M, NK) within just 30 minutes of collection. This rapid characterization allows for the immediate shipment of leukopak products with a Certificate of Analysis (COA) at the time of collection, ensuring faster delivery to cell therapy companies. This enhanced efficiency accelerates development timelines, which ultimately benefits patient outcomes.
Samuel A. Molina, PhD, Executive Director of Cell and Gene Therapy Operations at the Red Cross, emphasized the importance of integrating Accellix’s technology into their operations. This integration enables the organization to rapidly and accurately characterize donor samples, supporting the growing needs of their cell therapy partners and enhancing their ability to meet the demands of this important therapeutic field.
Accellix is a biotechnology company dedicated to advancing cell and gene therapy by providing the Accellix Platform, a benchtop flow cytometer that automates multiparameter cellular analysis. By using microfluidic cartridges with dry reagents, the platform offers exceptional reproducibility and ease of use. This platform enables customers to migrate their existing cell-based assays for improved quality control and reliability in developing life-changing therapies.
