Epredia and Aiforia Join RegenMed Hub Innovation Accelerator, Expanding PHC Group Presence in Regenerative Medicine

PHC Group was an early partner of ReMDO’s RegeneratOR Test Bed, providing advanced tissue processing technology and support to help researchers with prototyping and product development. The Innovation Accelerator, another ReMDO program, was created to provide space and support for companies with new or emerging regenerative medicine technologies. PHC Group is now establishing a local office within the Innovation Accelerator for itself and its holding companies and partners, including Epredia, a precision cancer diagnostics company owned by PHC Group whose products are used by pathologists and researchers 44 times every second, and Aiforia, a medical software company that provides artificial intelligence (AI) software for image analysis in pathology. Epredia is a global distribution partner for Aiforia’s portfolio of preclinical and clinical pathology tools.

Together, the companies provide slide imaging and AI–based solutions that allow researchers to explore and extract information beyond human visual perception. Diagnostic microscopic imaging and AI have formed a bridge between drug discovery, translational, and clinical research programs striving to better understand the disease state.

The presence of PHC Group, including Epredia, and Aiforia’s advanced technological support at the Innovation Accelerator will also pave the way for RegeneratOR’s newest program – the RegenMed Clinical Trials Catalyst.

“The Catalyst will enable research teams and regenerative medicine companies with potential therapies to conduct FDA human clinical trials,” said Gary Green, EdD, Chief Operating Officer of ReMDO.

As part of the Wake Forest University School of Medicine, the academic core of the newly combined Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health, the Catalyst will have access to 5.5 million patients, serving 67 hospitals throughout Wisconsin, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Illinois.

Digital diagnostics and AI have become important tools in research, translational medicine, and clinical practice, according to WFIRM Director Anthony Atala, MD. “PHC Group’s expansion into the Innovation Accelerator, combined with the advanced technology, equipment and onsite support and expertise of their teams, provides valuable resources to all of the regenerative companies in the RegenMed Hub,” Atala said. “We are looking forward to working more closely with PHC Group with the addition of Epredia and Aiforia.”

“As a global leader in anatomical pathology, Epredia is committed to providing precision health care tools and information, and expanding our presence in the ecosystem of the RegenMed Hub just makes sense,” said Steven Lynum, president of Epredia, who spoke at the event. “We are excited to grow our partnership to more directly engage with leading scientists and innovators, to potentially speed up clinical translation endeavors and have a greater impact on health.”

About Epredia: 

Epredia is a global leader in the supply of comprehensive laboratory solutions for anatomic pathology, histology, and cytology instruments and consumables. Epredia offers solutions for precision cancer diagnostics through our trusted brands Erie Scientific, Richard Allen Scientific, Shandon, Microm and Menzel-Gläser, which have been known as pioneers, innovators, and standard-bearers of excellence within the industry for over the last 85 years. Epredia was established following the acquisition of Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Anatomical Pathology business by PHC Holdings Corporation in 2019. Epredia has major sites in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and China with a total of around 1,200 employees. Epredia is committed to achieving its mission to improve lives by enhancing cancer diagnostics for patients around the world. For further information on Epredia and its products, please visit www.epredia.com.

About PHC Holdings Corporation (PHC Group): 

PHC Holdings Corporation (TSE 6523) is a global healthcare company with a mission of contributing to the health of society through healthcare solutions that have a positive impact and improve the lives of people. Its subsidiaries include PHC Corporation, Ascensia Diabetes Care Holdings AG, Epredia, and LSI Medience Corporation. Together, these companies develop, manufacture, sell and service solutions across diabetes management, healthcare solutions, life sciences and diagnostics. PHC Group’s consolidated net sales in FY2021 were JPY 340 billion with global distribution of products and services in more than 125 countries. www.phchd.com

About the RegenMed Development Organization:

The mission of the RegenMed Development Organization (ReMDO) is to accelerate the discovery and translation of regenerative medicine therapies. ReMDO is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that manages a clinical translation initiative that includes thought leaders, representatives from leading US research centers, government representatives, and companies of all sizes. ReMDO conducts research to de-risk technologies and speed up their translation to clinical practice and to the global market. ReMDO manages the world’s first and only professional organization dedicated solely to advancing the regenerative medicine field, the Regenerative Medicine Manufacturing Society (RMMS), and the Regenerative Medicine Manufacturing Innovation Consortium (RegMIC), which manages a private-public partnership of industry and academic members focused on scaling up technologies.

About the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine:

The Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine is recognized as an international leader in translating scientific discovery into clinical therapies, with many world firsts, including the development and implantation of the first engineered organ in a patient. Over 400 people at the institute, the largest in the world, work on more than 40 different tissues and organs. A number of the basic principles of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine were first developed at the institute. WFIRM researchers have successfully engineered replacement tissues and organs in all four categories – flat structures, tubular tissues, hollow organs and solid organs – and 15 different applications of cell/tissue therapy technologies, such as skin, urethras, cartilage, bladders, muscle, kidney, and vaginal organs, have been successfully used in human patients. The institute, which is part of Wake Forest School of Medicine, is located in the Innovation Quarter in downtown Winston-Salem, NC, and is driven by the urgent needs of patients. The institute is making a global difference in regenerative medicine through collaborations with over 400 entities and institutions worldwide, through its government, academic and industry partnerships, its start-up entities, and through major initiatives in breakthrough technologies, such as tissue engineering, cell therapies, diagnostics, drug discovery, biomanufacturing, nanotechnology, gene editing and 3D printing.

About the Innovation Quarter: 

Innovation Quarter (www.innovationquarter.com) is a vibrant, mixed-use innovation district located in downtown Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Anchored by Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Innovation Quarter is home to a community of more than 4,500 workers in 115 companies and four other institutions of higher learning where almost 2,000 degree-seeking students come to learn every day. In addition to more than 1,100 residential units, the Innovation Quarter also features a dynamic urban park, publicly accessible greenway and free community events that make this a true “Live.Work.Learn.Play” community. It is a founding member of the Global Institute on Innovation Districts (GIID) and was named a “Best Practice in Creating Integrated Places” by GIID for its work in intentional placemaking.