A unique blend of software and hardware technology has been developed in Wales by Bridgend-based TrakCel to support the rapidly emerging cell therapy and regenerative medicine sector.
It is designed to meet the highly specialised data management, reporting and analysis needs of complex clinical trials.
It records and documents the transport and temperature of personalised regenerative and cell-based therapies following derivation from the patient, and coordinates logistics between manufacturing sites and treatment sites in real time.
The system has been under development for two years and incorporates technologies such as biometrics and radio frequency identification to ensure the correct patient gets the correct therapy at the correct time and location.
The Welsh Government has provided £125,000 in repayable business finance towards work required to support the development of the platform, which will also safeguard five highly skilled jobs.
Under a collaboration agreement with GSK, TrakCel is now evaluating the system alongside a paper based tracking system to co-ordinate and record the supply chain of one of GSK’s cell therapies.
A successful trial may see TrakCel’s systems being adopted to manage other cell therapy products and enable the company to commercialise its product next year.
The results will be disseminated throughout the industry providing an opportunity for TrakCel to demonstrate potential value to the industry. TrakCel is also working with Oxford BioMedica on their manufacturing and supply chain project as well as other companies in the UK and USA.
Economy Minister Edwina Hart (pictured) said: This is the latest in a number of important developments in the stem cell arena in Wales which includes the relocation of ReNeuron, GE Healthcare’s recent investment in cell technology laboratories and GSK announcing its first office in Wales.
“It is an exciting time for the life science sector in Wales which is one of our priority economic sectors with high growth potential. Cell therapy is a rapidly growing field and regenerative medicine is fast becoming an emerging area for Wales. This latest news provides the opportunity for Wales to be at the forefront of developments in this sector.
“I am pleased that Welsh Government support is helping to grow the stem cell services business and that we are seeing the development and growth of a scientific focussed regenerative medicine cluster.”
TrakCel was founded in 2012 as a joint venture between Biotec Services International, a clinical supply chain service provider, AwenID, a Swansea University spin out specialising in developing biometric based technology solutions and Scalaris Technologies, which specialises in the delivery of secure, cloud based mobile technology for the pharmaceutical and clinical industry.
TrakCel Chairman Karen Winmill said: “TrakCel’s launch and accelerated development can be directly linked to the Welsh Government’s commitment to the life sciences industry. Support from the Welsh Government was pivotal in taking the TrakCel platform to this hugely important stage of development.”
The cell therapy business has seen revenues growing rapidly from $460m in 2010 to $900m in 2012 and is forecast to grow to $5.1bn this year
