3D Systems and Antleron have announced a collaboration intending to advance and accelerate breakthroughs in the biomedical industry.

Bringing together 3D Systems for 3D printing technologies and healthcare expertise, and Antleron for leadership and innovation in the development of regenerative products and personalised patient care - the companies will collaborate to support Antleron’s development of bioprinting solutions utilising 3D Systems’ printing technologies.

Antleron has created an R&D facility at their headquarters in Leuven, Belgium. Its ‘living therapy factory’ merges cells, biomaterials, biologics, bioreactors and 3D Systems printers to accelerate the engineering of living therapies. Using quality-by-design and artificial intelligence the Antleron multidisciplinary specialists translate these core technologies into pioneering workflows that turn cells into therapies.

Antleron CEO Jan Schrooten said: “The vision of Antleron is to sustainably bring living therapies into the clinic. 3D printing is key to this endeavour, and we are eager to collaborate with 3D Systems and its experts. I look forward to the pioneering solutions we’ll be able to achieve to elevate the efficacy of bioprinting and extend its biomedical application reach.”

The 3D Systems/Antleron relationship aims to address solutions for medical device and advanced therapy medicinal product (ATMP) applications, incorporating a variety of technologies that are of benefit to biomedical manufacturing process.

The goal is to establish a flexible, scalable Digital Factory approach, built on modular, closed parametric processes which include digital monitoring and quality control for risk mitigation. An example is to advance the way cells and tissues are grown to enable the transition from a static 2D to bioreactor-based 3D cell culture. This can lead to new ways to manufacture functionalised medical implants, vaccines, cell therapies, and living tissues.

Chuck Hull, co-founder and chief technology officer, 3D Systems, said: “3D Systems is excited about working with Antleron as they explore bioprinting, and especially their capability to develop end-to-end solutions utilising the 3D Systems’ state of the art printing platforms and materials.

“As we look to the future, bioprinting and regenerative medicine are large opportunities for 3D printing, and we look forward to expanding the role 3D Systems will play in these exciting fields.”