An innovative sample management partnership with the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation is advancing precision medicine through novel research to find a cure for IBD

INDIANAPOLIS, Nov. 12, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- As the global leader in comprehensive sample management solutions, BioStorage Technologies has entered into a strategic partnership with the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) to provide innovative sample management and transformative technology servicers across the entire sample lifecycle including logistics, kitting, bioprocessing, storage and distribution of samples for its new IBD Plexus initiative.

Earlier this year, CCFA was awarded a grant from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust to establish an integrated knowledge platform designed to centralize and aggregate patient information – with linked biosamples – across multiple research efforts. The new initiative, called IBD Plexus, is designed to speed progress toward precision medicine through novel research, leading to better diagnostics, treatments and, ultimately cures for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, also known as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD).

IBD Plexus will enable academic and industry researchers, clinicians, and other healthcare providers to study IBD in patients of all ages. The initiative will nurture collaboration among stakeholders and is powered by a common goal of supporting better care, improving treatments, and finding a cure.

The IBD Plexus research project includes a biobank; registries to capture clinical, patient-reported, and biosample data (genetic, genomic, microbiomic, etc.); and a large data management platform to house, organize, aggregate, and disseminate data to support research decisions. Within three years, databases will be combined or built with clinical information on more than 40,000 Crohn's and colitis patients, along with genomic and microbial profiles from 7,000 patients who will be followed over time.

IBD Plexus's sample management and technology services platform will be provided by BioStorage Technologies. In addition, BioStorage will be relocating a sample collection and performing DNA extraction through its BioProcessing Solutions Alliance with RUCDR Infinite Biologics.

"We are honored to collaborate with CCFA's IBD Plexus to support their delivery of personalized medicine to patients with IBD and the advancement of the search for the cure," said Greg Swanberg, CEO, BioStorage Technologies.

"IBD Plexus will provide the infrastructure and capacities to dramatically shift the paradigm and accelerate IBD research. We are pleased to be working with BioStorage Technologies as a partner in this important initiative," said Dr. Caren Heller, Chief Scientific Officer for CCFA.

"This project embodies the Helmsley Charitable Trust's commitment to establishing close and productive partnerships with the organizations that offer the greatest potential to impact the areas that we support," said Helmsley Charitable Trust trustee Sandor Frankel. "We are thrilled at the prospects of what this important new research platform can achieve in advancing therapies, care and the path to a cure for those with IBD with the support of best-in-class partners."

About BioStorage Technologies, Inc.:
BioStorage Technologies, Inc. is the premier, global provider of comprehensive sample management solutions for the bioscience industry. Offering flexible onsite, offsite and hybrid models for the smartsourcing of research assets, BioStorage Technologies provides a complete life-cycle of sample management solutions. With an expert team of global sample consultants, industry-leading temperature-controlled storage facilities, innovative bioprocessing solutions and state-of-the-art technology solutions to support sample inventory and data virtualization, the company supports its customers in maximizing opportunities, minimizing risk and reducing costs. BioStorage Technologies, Inc. is a privately held, global corporation. For more information, visit www.biostorage.com or call +1 866 697 2675 for North America, +49 6155 898 1011 for Europe or +65 31576199 for Singapore or +86 10 8587 2390 for China.

About CCFA
The Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) is the largest non-profit voluntary health agency dedicated to finding cures for inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). CCFA's mission is to cure Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, and to improve the quality of life of children and adults who suffer from these diseases. The Foundation works to fulfill its mission by funding research, providing educational resources for patients and their families, medical professionals, and the public, and furnishing supportive services for those afflicted with IBD. For more information, visit www.ccfa.org or call 888-694-8872.

About the Helmsley Charitable Trust
The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust aspires to improve lives by supporting exceptional nonprofits and other mission-aligned organizations in the U.S. and around the world in health, selected place-based initiatives, and education and human services. Through its IBD and Crohn's Disease Program, the Trust has allocated nearly $160 million to institutions in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Israel. Across the program, nearly 100 Helmsley-funded investigators are working to understand both how human genetics and the gut microbiome can cause and exacerbate IBD and bring those insights into the development of new treatments and a cure. For more information, please visit www.helmsleytrust.org.

Press Contact:
Michael Clark
Miller Brooks, Inc.
317-873-8100
[email protected]

Rebecca Kaplan
Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America
646-943-7415
[email protected]

SOURCE BioStorage Technologies, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.biostorage.com