ARPA-H funds program to stabilize cell therapies at room temperature

The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has announced funding for its BioStabilization Systems (BoSS) program. The initiative aims to develop methods for producing, storing, and transporting cell-based biologic medicines at room temperature, potentially eliminating the need for refrigeration.

ARPA-H has committed up to $87 million over four years to the program. The current funding round supports Phase I, tasking teams with creating technologies that provide long-term shelf-life stability for cell therapies and developing scalable manufacturing processes.

Among the recipients, the Reversible Ambient Temperature (RAB) team has been awarded an initial $7.3 million. Led by Likarda and administratively managed by Draper, the team includes collaborators from CaseBioscience, CPSI Biotech, Fresenius Kabi, MiNK Therapeutics, and the University of Colorado. The RAB team will utilize AI-assisted design and freeze-assisted droplet drying to optimize cell stability and recovery.