Cryoport Expands Agreement with Sanaria to Support Grant Awards with U.S. National Institutes of Health and U.S. Army

IRVINE, Calif., June 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Cryoport, Inc. (NASDAQ: CYRX, CYRXW), the world's leading cryogenic logistics company dedicated to the life sciences industry, announces that it will assist Sanaria Inc. in the design and implementation of the cryogenic cold chain for Sanaria's investigational malaria vaccines.  This work is supported by grants to Sanaria from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH) (phase II Commercialization Readiness Pilot Program) and U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) (phase I Small Business Innovation Research).  

Cryoport's expertise in cryogenic logistics will be applied to distribution models for Sanaria^® PfSPZ Vaccine for travel clinics (NIAID, NIH grant) and the U.S. military (DoD grant).  This work will assist in the implementation of Phase 3 clinical trials of the vaccine and the development of cryogenic logistics distribution in support of the anticipated commercial launch of PfSPZ Vaccine, which is cryopreserved.  Initially, vaccine distribution will be aimed at filling the needs of the U.S. DoD, State Department, and Peace Corps, travel medicine companies, and extraction industries. The Cryoport designs will incorporate distribution models enabling "just in time" delivery by providing logistics support incorporating novel packaging designs, inventory management, liquid nitrogen (LN2) replenishment and will test transport to specific clinics. Cryoport's SmartPak II monitoring system will be utilized to manage in real time the "chain of custody" distribution logistics as well as the "chain of condition" environmental conditions. The SmartPak II works alongside Cryoport's Cryoportal™ software system to provide comprehensive logistics monitoring, including GPS tracking, which locates dry shippers and payloads and proactively tracks potential adverse events which may occur due to weather, logistics handling, or other delays.

Jerrell Shelton, Chief Executive Officer of Cryoport, commented, "We are thrilled to have been selected to develop models for the distribution of Sanaria's groundbreaking malaria vaccine as part of these two projects.  This selection, we believe, is a testament to the quality and reliability of our cryogenic logistics solutions. We are proud to support Sanaria's work developing and eventually bringing to market a vaccine to prevent malaria."

Dr. Stephen L. Hoffman, Chief Executive and Scientific Officer of Sanaria stated, "Cryoport's expertise in cryogenic logistics management, track record and reputation were important in helping to secure funding from the U.S. DoD and NIAID, NIH.  Cryoport has reliably supported our research efforts over the past five years and they were the natural partner for these new projects."

Sanaria's malaria vaccines have achieved more than 90% protection in multiple clinical trials to date.  Current clinical studies aim to finalize the regimen (dose strength, number of doses, and interval between doses) for the traveler's indication. Future Phase 3 clinical trials are intended to lead to licensure of the vaccine for prevention of malaria in travelers and subsequently for use in mass vaccination programs in the countries most affected by malaria.

About Cryoport, Inc.

Cryoport is the life sciences industry's most trusted global provider of cold chain logistics solutions for temperature-sensitive life sciences commodities, serving the biopharmaceutical market with leading-edge logistics solutions for biologic materials, such as regenerative medicine, including immunotherapies, stem cells and CAR-T cells. Cryoport's solutions are used by points-of-care, CRO's, central laboratories, pharmaceutical companies, manufacturers, university researchers etc; as well as the reproductive medicine market, primarily in IVF and surrogacy; and the animal health market, primarily in the areas of vaccines and reproduction. Cryoport's proprietary Cryoport Express® Shippers, Cryoportal™ Logistics Management Platform, leading-edge SmartPak II™ Condition Monitoring System and geo-sensing technology, paired with unparalleled cold chain logistics expertise and 24/7 client support, make Cryoport the end-to-end cold chain logistics partner that the industry trusts.

Cryoport is dedicated to

• simplifying global cold chain logistics through innovative technology, unmatched monitoring and data capture and support, including consulting;
• delivering the most advanced temperature controlled logistics solutions for the life sciences industry; and
• providing vital information that provides peace of mind throughout the life of each logistics process.

For more information, visit www.cryoport.com.

About Sanaria Inc.

Sanaria Inc. is a socially focused, for-profit company founded in 2003. The Company's mission is to develop and commercialize whole-parasite malaria vaccines that confer high-level, long-lasting protection against malaria. Sanaria's corporate headquarters, administrative, research, development, and manufacturing operations are located in Rockville, Maryland. The Company's website is www.sanaria.com.

Forward Looking Statements

Statements in this news release which are not purely historical, including statements regarding Cryoport, Inc.'s intentions, hopes, beliefs, expectations, representations, projections, plans or predictions of the future are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. It is important to note that the Company's actual results could differ materially from those in any such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties associated with the effect of changing economic conditions, trends in the products markets, variations in the Company's cash flow, market acceptance risks, and technical development risks. The Company's business could be affected by a number of other factors, including the risk factors listed from time to time in the Company's SEC reports including, but not limited to, the Transition Report on Form 10-K for the nine months ended December 31, 2016 filed with the SEC. The Company cautions investors not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Cryoport, Inc. disclaims any obligation, and does not undertake to update or revise any forward-looking statements in this press release.

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SOURCE Cryoport, Inc.