Avaí Bio, Austrianova Advance Klotho Cell Therapy Program
(RTTNews) - Avaí Bio (AVAI) said it and joint venture partner Austrianova successfully encapsulated GMP-quality Klotho-producing cells using Austrianova's Cell-in-a-Box technology.
The companies said initial studies showed the encapsulated cells remained viable and produced and secreted high levels of Klotho protein from within the capsules into the surrounding culture media.
The milestone follows comprehensive adventitious agent and viral testing of Avaí Bio's GMP Master Cell Bank, from which a Working Cell Bank was recently established for the company's genetically modified a-Klotho-producing cell line.
Avaí Bio and Austrianova said the results provide the first confirmation that Klotho-expressing cells manufactured and banked under Austrianova's GMP process can be successfully incorporated into Cell-in-a-Box capsules while maintaining their biological function.
The capsule technology is designed to contain the therapeutic cells while allowing the Klotho protein they produce to pass into the surrounding environment.
The companies said the findings support the platform's potential for long-term cell containment and sustained protein delivery.
The Klotho program will now advance to capsule expansion and optimization studies. These studies will evaluate the growth characteristics, long-term functionality and production performance of the encapsulated Klotho-producing cells under conditions intended to support future development milestones.
The program is being developed by Klothonova, a Nevada-based joint venture equally owned by Avaí Bio and Austrianova affiliate SG Austria Pte. Ltd.
The companies are developing Cell-in-a-Box encapsulated cell-based therapies designed to provide sustained production and delivery of a-Klotho, a protein being investigated for its potential role in age-related disorders and organ protection.
AVAI has traded between $0.10 and $0.80 over the past year. Currently, AVAI is trading at $0.13, up 8.00%.
