Key points from article :
Safi Biotherapeutics, a startup backed by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), recently secured $5 million in seed funding to accelerate the development of bio-manufactured red blood cells (RBCs). The company’s focus is to address the growing challenges associated with the current donor blood supply system. These challenges include shortages and complications in blood matching for patients who require regular transfusions. As the global population ages and the pool of blood donors diminishes, the demand for transfusions is expected to rise, making alternatives to traditional blood donations increasingly necessary.
Safi aims to produce red blood cells from stem cells, a technology that has been studied for years but has struggled with the challenge of scaling production cost-effectively. The company's CEO acknowledged that while previous efforts have produced small amounts of cultured RBCs, Safi’s goal is to manufacture enough cells at a low cost to make bio-manufactured blood a commercially viable alternative. Safi’s partnership with the DoD has allowed it to develop efficient methods of producing allogeneic red blood cells, using less media and reducing overall production costs.
With the recent $5 million investment led by J2 Ventures, Safi now plans to accelerate its clinical production and move toward regulatory approval. This includes filing an Investigational New Drug (IND) application and preparing for clinical trials. The company’s technology has the potential to supplement the existing blood donor system, benefiting both civilian and military needs, particularly in trauma and surgical settings. Safi’s long-term goal is to make bio-manufactured red blood cells a reliable and scalable solution to blood shortages worldwide.
