Andorran Skiers Partner with Cellab for Personalized Blood Recovery Treatments

Ten athletes from the Andorran Ski Federation (FAE) have visited Cellab's facilities in Sant Julià de Lòria to provide blood samples for personalised recovery treatments under a new partnership with the bio-pharmaceutical company.

The agreement enables the skiers—Joan Verdú, Cande Moreno, Carla Mijares, Jordina Caminal, Íria Medina, Clàudia Garcia, Xavier Cornella, Bartumeu Gabriel, Gina del Rio, and Irineu Esteve—to access autologous therapies. Blood is extracted, processed, and injected into injured areas such as tendons, ligaments, muscles, and cartilage. Each athlete's samples will yield four doses per injury, with the full process taking about 10 days. Officials stressed that the treatment involves no drugs, only the patient's own material.

FAE manager Carles Visa highlighted the prevalence of injuries in skiing, noting ongoing prevention efforts with the International Ski Federation (FIS), including piste safety measures, and the addition of physiotherapist Oriol Bonell last season. He said the partnership would deliver "time and quality" in recovery while advancing athlete health.

Physical trainer Damià Costa said the therapy aids tissue repair across various injury types and is common among elite athletes, with proven results for cartilage damage.

Cellab CEO Alexandre Marfany welcomed the collaboration, describing the treatments as innovative but an initial step. The company, founded in 2014 and specialised in advanced therapies and immunotherapy, is running promising clinical trials on cellular treatments where cells are adapted, expanded, and genetically modified. Cellab representatives added that these therapies are more potent than conventional options and could lead to revolutionary advances available to the public in the medium term.