Likarda-led team wins up to $7.3M ARPA-H grant for room-temperature cell storage
What's the deal? A multidisciplinary team led by LikardaDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has secured up to $7.3 million from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to develop ways of storing and shipping living cell therapies at room temperature. The grant falls under ARPA-H's Biostabilization Systems (BoSS) program. CaseBioscienceDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → is among the collaborators.
Who else is involved? The team — known as Reversible Ambient Biostabilization (RAB) — is one of just three selected for BoSS. Alongside Likarda and CaseBioscience, it includes DraperDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, CPSI BiotechDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Fresenius KabiDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, MiNK TherapeuticsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, and the Spencer Lab at the University of Colorado Boulder.
What's the endgame? The goal is to cut reliance on cold-chain logistics so that advanced biologics can be "transported and stored as easily as aspirin." The initial phase runs 15 months, starting September 24, 2026.
Why now? Cell therapies have shown potential to transform treatment of cancer and other serious diseases, but many require specialised preservation and transport to stay viable. That complexity and cost limit broader access. Technology that stabilises cells at room temperature could simplify distribution and widen reach.
What could go wrong? Dry-state preservation of living cells has been studied for over two decades with only limited success, said John Baust, a biopreservation expert working on the project with CPSI Biotech. "The ARPA-H BoSS program offers an unprecedented opportunity to tackle this problem from multiple scientific and technical angles at once," he said.
What's the backstory? The work builds on research with deep roots in CaseBioscience's team. Lynda McGinnis, its director of research and development, helped pioneer early work on dried sperm storage over two decades ago. "It's time for a whole new approach to storing and shipping cells for clinical therapies and even reproductive medicine," she said.
The signal: At $7.3 million, the award sits in the top 7% of US health grants by size, underscoring the significance ARPA-H places on solving cold-chain dependence. Success could reshape how biologics are preserved, stored, and distributed worldwide.
Read more: prnewswire.com
Image credit: Likarda
