Unither Bioelectronics Signs Agreement with Robinson Helicopter Company
Unither Bioelectronics Signs Agreement with Robinson Helicopter Company to Develop Zero-Carbon, Hydrogen Helicopter Fleets Supporting Organ Delivery for Transplantation
BROMONT, Québec and TORRANCE, Calif., August 14, 2024 – Unither Bioelectronics Inc. (UB), a subsidiary of United Therapeutics Corporation, and Robinson Helicopter Company (Robinson) have entered into a collaboration agreement to accelerate UB’s development of hydrogen-powered helicopters based on Robinson’s popular R44 and R66 helicopter models. This strategic collaboration is expected to accelerate the development of zero-emission helicopters and increase the likelihood of regulatory approval.
Under the terms of the agreement, Robinson will provide its extensive engineering, technical, and regulatory expertise to help streamline the development and certification of these innovative hydrogen-electric helicopters with the goal of obtaining certification from Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
“Just as protons from hydrogen atoms drive the mitochondrial powerplants in each of our body’s cells, we look forward to using protons from green hydrogen to drive the membrane-based fuel cell powerplants in our Robinson R66 organ delivery electric helicopters,” said Martine Rothblatt, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of United Therapeutics “We are honored to be working with one of the world's largest helicopter manufacturers as we continue to extend our track record of saving hundreds of lives through aviation-delivered transplanted lungs.
“This collaboration accelerates the development of sustainable transportation solutions for life-saving organs,” said Mikael Cardinal, Vice President of Program Management and Organ Delivery Systems and Head of the United Therapeutics Organ Delivery Systems (UTODS) development program. “Hydrogen-powered aircraft are the next frontier in sustainable aviation. We are committed to developing a zero-operational carbon emission fleet of aircraft, and we look forward to working with the expert team at Robinson Helicopter to enable regulatory approval and production of these aircraft.”
“Robinson is committed to leading the vertical lift industry into the next generation of flight,” said David Smith, President and CEO of Robinson Helicopter Company. “By deepening our existing relationship with Unither Bioelectronics, we can accelerate the arrival of zero-emission helicopters.”
Headquartered in Bromont, Québec, UB seeks to redefine how organs are transported for transplant via the UTODS. Currently under development, the UTODS is intended to serve as a highly efficient and environmentally friendly transportation system capable of delivering manufactured organs from United Therapeutics’ facilities to transplant centers across North America. Under the UTODS program, UB is developing next-generation electric- and hydrogen-powered, optionally piloted vertical lift aircraft capable of operating from existing hospital air-transport infrastructure.
About Unither Bioelectronics
Unither Bioelectronics, Inc. (UB), a wholly owned subsidiary of United Therapeutics Corporation, is driving the innovation and development of autonomous, environmentally friendly, airborne organ delivery systems. UB intends to develop and operate a fleet of next-generation, electric- and hydrogen- powered, optionally piloted, and powered-lift aircraft with the capacity to take off and land vertically at hospitals – capable of quickly delivering manufactured organs for human transplant. UB plays a critical role in support of United Therapeutics’ mission to address the unmet medical needs of patients with end-stage organ diseases. More information is available at unither.aero.
About Robinson Helicopter Company
For more than 50 years, Robinson Helicopter Company has been at the forefront of the helicopter industry by delivering safety-enhancing technologies, including OEM-designed crash-resistant fuel cells, 4K cockpit video cameras, autopilot systems, and NVG-compatible cockpits. Robinson is committed to developing, manufacturing, and supporting the most reliable and efficient helicopters in the industry. For additional information, visit www.robinsonheli.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements included in this press release that are not historical in nature are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include, among others, our plans to develop manufactured organs and a fleet of sustainable aircraft for delivery of manufactured organs, our expectation that our collaboration with Robinson Helicopter Company will enable us to accelerate development of hydrogen-powered aircraft and increase their prospects for regulatory approval, our efforts to innovate for the unmet medical needs of our patients, to benefit our other stakeholders, and to pursue our public benefit purpose of developing novel pharmaceutical therapies and technologies that expand the availability of transplantable organs. These forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, such as those described in our periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, that could cause actual results to differ materially from anticipated results. Consequently, such forward-looking statements are qualified by the cautionary statements, cautionary language, and risk factors set forth in United Therapeutics Corporation’s periodic reports and documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K. We claim the protection of the safe harbor contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 for forward-looking statements. We are providing this information as of August 14, 2024, and assume no obligation to update or revise the information contained in this press release whether as a result of new information, future events or any other reason.
# # #
Contacts:
Robinson Helicopter Company
Robyn E. Eagles
Robyn.eagles@robinsonheli.com
+1 323 547 5102
Unither Bioelectronics
Dewey Steadman
dsteadman@unither.com
+1 202 919 4097
