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LUMICKS Introduces Avidion: Revolutionizing Cell Therapy Development

In a groundbreaking announcement, LUMICKS has introduced Avidion, a next-generation Cell Avidity platform poised to transform the landscape of cell therapy development. This innovative tool will be unveiled at the upcoming CICON 2025 conference taking place from September 10-12 in Utrecht, The Netherlands. Avidion addresses a significant challenge in the realm of cancer treatment: the high failure rate of CAR-T cell therapies, which sees up to 83% failing post-preclinical development.

The main issue lies in the limitations of current preclinical models. Existing in vitro assays and animal studies often inadequately predict clinical effectiveness. While molecular assays gauge receptor-antigen binding and functional assays measure the outcomes of these interactions, a vital gap remains—specifically, how cells engage and interact with each other. This is where Avidion steps in, filling a crucial blind spot in understanding the mechanisms underpinning these therapies and aiding in the identification of optimal candidates for clinical development.

The Innovation Behind Avidion

Avidion’s approach focuses on “Cell Avidity,” a term that encapsulates the strength of cell-cell binding, thereby bridging the gap between in vitro results and in vivo effectiveness. The platform has been validated through over 50 high-impact studies conducted by more than 70 leading academic and biopharma institutions.

Simplifying the measurement of Cell Avidity, Avidion is designed to empower researchers throughout their workflows—from initial screenings to in-depth characterizations. By facilitating quicker and more informed selections of candidate therapies, Avidion aims to increase preclinical success rates and reduce the financial burden associated with developing new cell therapies.

High-Throughput and User-Friendly

One of the defining features of Avidion is its high-throughput capability. It is compatible with standard 96-well plates, ensuring an easy integration into existing laboratory workflows. The platform operates on a fully automated system, utilizing machine learning to deliver reproducible and high-quality data consistently. This results in straightforward and reliable data collection, which is critical for researchers working under tight timelines and budgets.

Testimonials from Leading Researchers

Avidion has garnered positive feedback from esteemed professionals in the field. Peter Chockley, an Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University, praised the platform for its elegant solution, noting, "Avidion makes it exceptionally straightforward. You make the layer. You see the cells. There's a building of confidence."

Meanwhile, Marcus Barden, a postdoctoral researcher at the Hinrich Abken lab in Regensburg University, highlighted the platform's status as the way forward: "[The] high throughput [and] larger datasets to understand the correlation between binder characteristics and CAR-signaling quantity and quality is definitely the way to go."

About LUMICKS

LUMICKS is at the forefront of life science technology, committed to accelerating drug discovery within cancer research and deepening our understanding of biological processes at both molecular and cellular levels. By offering solutions like Avidion, the company is poised to unveil crucial insights into the complexities of health and disease, facilitating the development of next-generation therapies and speeding up immunotherapy breakthroughs.

To learn more about LUMICKS and its innovative offerings, visit lumicks.com.

As they make significant strides in the field, Avidion undoubtedly represents an important advancement in the journey towards effective cell therapies, promising to enhance patient outcomes worldwide.