InSphero agrees distribution in the U.S.

Biotech company InSphero, based in Schlieren in the canton of Zurich, is now making its patented Akura plate technology available in the United States. According to a press release, InSphero has signed a distribution agreement with Advanced BioMatrix (ABM), which is located in Carlsbad in California and specializes in 3D applications for tissue culture, cell assay, bioprinting and cell proliferation.

InSphero’s Akura plate formats were developed specifically for 3D cultures of spheroids and organoids, simplifying their aggregation and handling, and facilitating integration of 3D models into cell-based assay workflows. As the press release explains, this gives researchers important advantages for their workflows. “I am looking forward to expanding our range of applications for scientists and drug developers by combining ABM’s product range with the Akura platform”, says Paul Clémençon, Head of Business Development at InSphero. The press release continues: “Combining ABM’s hydrogels with InSphero’s Akura plates helps researchers working with scaffolds for their organoid and spheroid cultures to drive innovation in the pre-clinical drug discovery.”

Bowman Bagley, CEO of Advanced BioMatrix, says the aim of Advanced BioMatrix is to provide innovative 3D matrices for groundbreaking research: “By combining the Akura spheroid and organoid platform with ABM biomaterials and hydrogels, we continue to expand available solutions and workflows for our customers.” ABM hydrogels focus on recreating an in vivo environment for cells, a task that is supported by the Akura platform.

InSphero is a spin-off from the University of Zurich (UZH) and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH), and is based in the Bio-Technopark Schlieren-Zürich. ce/ gba