4 minute read
Unchaining Innovation to Advance Health Equity
SUBMITTED BY KRISTEN POOR, DIRECTOR OF MARKETING PROGRAMS, INNOSIGHT AND LAURA BRONSART, DVM, PHD, SENIOR DIRECTOR OPERATIONS AND PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT, UPKARA
Upkara decreases cold chain reliance with no-freeze stabilization technology.
Imagine waiting for a lifesaving medication or vaccine only for it to arrive damaged after sitting in a hot shipping container for too long. Picture years of research and hard-earned grant funding being wasted because materials spoiled due to a delay on the tarmac. Though it isn’t always obvious, billions of people worldwide are affected by the inefficiencies of cold chain logistics.
Each year, the pharmaceutical industry alone spends approximately $18.6 billion on cold chain support to store and transport temperaturesensitive products. Losses related to cold chain failures add up to an additional $35 billion annually. Such costs are also challenging for universities, researchers, and reagent manufacturers.
But what if it was possible to stabilize fragile biomolecules without the use of freezing? Thanks to cutting-edge technology, it is.
Upkara is a diverse, forward-thinking biotechnology company headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It was founded by Pravansu Mohanty, Ph.D., as a spin-off of the Somnio think tank whose mission was to address global unmet needs. Upkara’s focus is biomolecule stabilization. Their novel technology, unlike the current stabilization technique of lyophilization or freeze drying, is rapid, cost-effective, and broadly applicable.
Company CEO and Chairman, Alan Turfe, MBA, says, “Upkara eliminates the cold-chain requirements of reagents, therapeutics, and vaccines using our innovative, patented biopreservation technology, with the ultimate aim of improving global health equity.”
The company has successfully used this technology to stabilize antibodies, enzymes, small molecules, and mRNA.
Laura Bronsart, DVM, Ph.D., Senior Director of Operations and Product Development says, “We fully anticipate that our technology can stabilize the same products that lyophilization is currently used for. However, our technology does not freeze the product to achieve stabilization.”
This creates massive cost savings for multiple industries by decreasing cold-chain operation needs and increasing yield. Stabilized products can be stored and shipped at ambient temperatures, have less risk of damage, and have extended shelf lives. Additionally, Upkara’s technology requires significantly less processing time–just one hour versus the 12-72 hours required for lyophilization.
Upkara is currently focused on stabilizing temperaturesensitive reagents used ubiquitously in all research and development while future applications of this technology will be aimed at therapeutics and vaccines. The technology has the promise to positively impact patients globally as improving access to analytical reagents opens the door for countless innovations and increases the affordability of materials needed for groundbreaking research.
Upkara is working with reagent manufacturers to identify ways its technology can be utilized to produce stabilized products. “Analytical reagents are used across a wide variety of institutions, including academia, government, and industry. They are the foundation upon which all new knowledge and biological advancements are built, and many are susceptible to damage due to thermal stress,” says Dr. Bronsart.
A driving factor behind Upkara’s success is the real-world experience and diversity among its employees. The team is comprised of a unique mix of biologists and engineers who are passionate about their work and the company’s mission.
Jamal Mosallam, CFO, says, “We are very proud of our company’s diversity. The science and product development are being led by two female scientists. Our lab and technical staff include people from many nationalities–all of whom have witnessed the negative impact of having limited or unreliable access to cold chain storage and transportation.”
Of cold chain difficulties facing the biotechnology industry, Mosallam says, “The status quo has not solved this problem, and we are hoping some of the brightest, most optimistic, and collaborative minds in the industry will.”
