Xcell Biosciences (XcellBio) has been named a finalist in the Medical & Health category at the 45th International Design Excellence Awards for their world-first instrument, the AVATAR Foundry, which grows cell therapies under unique conditions to specifically target solid tumor cancers. Planet Innovation (PI), XcellBio’s contract development and manufacturing partner, worked with XcellBio over the past two years to develop the AVATAR Foundry instrument. Winners were announced at the award winner ceremony held at the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation in Michigan last week.
The International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) is an annual competition presented by the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) that recognizes excellence in design across various disciplines. For 45 years, IDEA has attracted thousands of exciting and innovative entries from professional designers and students from across the globe, making it one of the most prestigious awards in the industry. Each year, IDSA convenes a world-renowned, multidisciplinary jury of more than 40 design professionals to evaluate entries across five criteria: Design Innovation, Benefit to User, Benefit to Client/Brand, Benefit to Society, and Appropriate Aesthetics.
In March 2025 XcellBio announced that it had entered into an agreement with Royal Perth Hospital to use its AVATAR Foundry instrument in a trial focused on rapid manufacturing of more potent cancer-killing cell therapies.
