Scorpius Holdings Inc., an integrated contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), has entered a collaboration with KaloCyte, a pre-clinical company in the field of therapeutic innovation, under which Scorpius will utilize its scientific and technical expertise to enhance manufacturing efficiencies for KaloCyte’s lead candidate, ErythroMer.

ErythroMer is a dried, bio-inspired artificial red blood cell designed to address life-threatening blood loss in situations where stored red blood cells are unavailable, unsuitable, or in short supply. The two companies are also evaluating opportunities to establish a commercial-scale manufacturing agreement.

“ErythroMer is a groundbreaking advancement that addresses critical healthcare challenges, and we are thrilled to contribute our scientific and technical expertise to this transformative initiative,” said Jeff Wolf, CEO of Scorpius. “By refining manufacturing processes for KaloCyte’s lead candidate, we are poised to accelerate its journey toward clinical success and expand its reach to patients who need it most. The prospect of commercial-scale manufacturing further emphasizes our shared commitment to making this life-saving therapy widely available.”

Elaine Haynes, President and CEO of KaloCyte, commented, “Scorpius BioManufacturing’s specialized focus, alignment with federal funding within the biodefense space and plans to grow their commercial production capabilities are a unique match for KaloCyte’s mission to develop a lifeline for when blood is not available as we prepare to advance to the clinic.”