REPROCELL’s Corporate News

The year might be coming to a close, but we’re not winding down at REPROCELL. The final months of 2022 have brought new collaborations, partnerships, and successes to enrich your stem cell and drug discovery research. This includes our membership to the CIRM Industry Resource Partner Program and our latest agreement with the CDMO BioBridge global – both of which will make REPROCELL’s clinical iPSC technology and subsequent cell therapy manufacturing more accessible.

 Silo Pharma, Inc. has announced its plans to initiate a pilot study of its novel joint homing peptides targeting rheumatoid arthritis (RA), designated as SPU-21, in human synovial tissue surrounding joints and tendons. Conducted in partnership with REPROCELL, this three-month study will assess the binding affinity of the peptide in healthy human and RA synovial tissue. Initial data from the study is expected during the first quarter of 2023.

Yokohama Japan, 23 November 2022: REPROCELL Inc. decided to invest in Histocell S.L. to strengthen its clinical induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) service offerings.

UK enterprises are facing a number of disruptive forces that necessitate transformation at pace – macro-economic challenges, socio-political challenges, and the focus on our own resilience. Industries from across the country are in the grip of a far-ranging digital revolution; an accelerated transformation that’s being driven by the desire to innovate and an appetite for enhanced competitiveness.

Yokohama, Japan, 13 October 2022: REPROCELL Inc. and JTB Corp. will begin marketing "Personal iPS" (REPROCELL's iPSC storage and production service) overseas through the Japan Medical & Health Tourism Center (JMHC): a medical coordination division established by JTB.

Yokohama Japan, 5 October 2022: REPROCELL Inc. has agreed to join the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine’s (CIRM) Industry Resource Partner Program to make accessible REPROCELL’s unique induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) technology to CIRM Awardees.

YOKOHAMA, Japan: REPROCELL Inc. and San Antonio, Texas-based BioBridge Global have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to enhance their strategic collaborative relationship.

We're halfway through the financial year and there are only three months left in 2022. Time is racing but REPROCELL has managed to pack in a lot since our last update, including three conferences and the launch of our clinical laboratory services in Europe. Here is a list of everything else we've been up to since the start of July:

New collaboration at Hartree National Centre for Digital Innovation combines REPROCELL’s tests of drug efficacy in human living tissues with IBM expertise in artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Glasgow UK - 17 August 2022: A drug being developed for the treatment of severe asthma and COPD has passed an important milestone. Scientists at REPROCELL compared the effects of the compound, RCD405, with drugs that are currently used to treat respiratory disease by assessing the effects of the drug ex vivo in human living bronchi.

Next month, the Safety Pharmacology Society (SPS) will be hosting its first in-person meeting since 2019. Now in its 22nd year, this dynamic forum is known for its global networking opportunities and events promoting the best practices in safety pharmacology.

Hyderabad, India - 9 August 2022: We are pleased to announce that Bioserve Biotechnologies India Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of REPROCELL Inc, has received NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories) accreditation for Medical Testing in the field of Genomics Testing Services. The accreditation is in accordance with ISO 15189: 2012 “Medical laboratories - Requirements for quality and competence”.

This June, REPROCELL’s experts will be busy. We will be joining with stem cell scientists at ISSCR 2022 to allow scientists an opportunity to meet in person with REPROCELL’s experts at Booth 310 and discuss how we can help solve complex problems in Drug Discovery and Regenerative Medicine.

Yokohama Japan, 16 May 2022: We are pleased to announce that the Clinical Phase II Trial of Stemchymal, a regenerative medicine product derived from somatic stem cells, has been completed in Japan. Previously, on 24 May 2021, we announced that administrations of Stemchymal had been completed for all patients enrolled for the treatment of spinocerebellar ataxia. After data collection, we will unblind the allocation information for the blinded treatment/placebo group (i.e., code-break), conduct data analysis and evaluation, and prepare for submission for approval.

Glasgow UK - 25 February 2022: REPROCELL, in collaboration with researchers at IBM and the Precision Medicine Scotland Innovation Centre, have co-authored a publication aiming to improve precision medicine strategies.

Glasgow UK - 21 January 2022: REPROCELL has published an article highlighting the power of human biospecimens in the latest issue of European Biopharmaceutical Review (EBR). The piece, titled Dynamizing Biomarker R&D with Smarter Biospecimens, explains why quality biospecimens are essential to translational biomarker research.

Yokohama Japan, 8 November 2021: REPROCELL has signed a new agency agreement with Ajinomoto Group for the marketing and sale of StemFit Basic03 GMP and GMP compliant recombinant human bFGF. These clinical-grade products are suitable for cell culture workflows leading to therapeutic applications.

GLASGOW, October 25, 2021: Hoth Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: HOTH) has extended its partnership agreement with REPROCELL to assess the effect of the HT-003 therapeutic platform in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Fresh explants of ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease tissues will be used to investigate the therapeutic potential of Hoth's HT-003 drugs. All testing will be performed at REPROCELL's Centre for Predictive Drug Discovery.

Hyderabad India – 15 September 2021: Bioserve Biotechnologies India Pvt. Ltd. (a 100% owned subsidiary of REPROCELL Inc) will sponsor a webinar series hosted by the Society of Fetal Medicine in September. The title of the webinar is “Genetic Testing in Fetal Medicine-Navigating the Maze”.

Yokohama Japan, 02 September 2021: REPROCELL have signed a Strategic Collaboration Agreement with TEXCELL JAPAN, a TEXCELL Group Company, for GMP iPSC - Master Cell Banks (MCB) Manufacturing. The TEXCELL Group (hereinafter “TEXCELL”) is a contract manufacturing organization (CMO) headquartered in France and managed by the holding company SOPARBIOTECH INTERNATIONAL.

Yokohama Japan, 18 August 2021: REPROCELL have signed a Master Service Agreement with TEXCELL JAPAN a TEXCELL Group Company for GMP iPSC - Master Cell Banks (MCB) Manufacturing. The TEXCELL Group (hereinafter “TEXCELL”) is a contract manufacturing organization (CMO) headquartered in France and managed by the holding company Soparbiotech International.

Glasgow, UK: REPROCELL employees, Zara Puckrin and Graeme Macluskie, have published a headline article in the latest issue of European Biopharmaceutical Review (EBR).

Maryland, USA: REPROCELL has opened a new Seed iPSC Manufacture Suite (SiMS) in response to increasing demand for iPSC-derived Master Cell Banks (MCBs).

Yokohama, Japan: We are pleased to announce that REPROCELL will launch a new testing service of identification for Covid-19 variants, including the Indian (Delta), UK, South African, and Brazilian variants. These have all been identified as Variants of Concern (VOC) by the World Health Organization.

We are pleased to announce that administrations of Stemchymal, a regenerative medicine product derived from somatic stem cells, have been completed to all enrolled patients in phase II clinical trial for the treatment of spinocerebellar ataxia in Japan. The safety and efficacy of Stemchymal will continue to be investigated during a certain observation period.

Rotterdam, the Netherlands, VIROCLINICS-DDL is pleased to announce the signing of a renewal for collaboration agreement with REPROCELL. REPROCELL will provide sample processing services to VIROCLINICS-DDL to support several clinical research projects.

REPROCELL USA and REPROCELL Europe will be attending all 5 days of the Biotechgate Digital Partnering 2021 Event, 3-7 May 2021. 

Partnering scheduling is now open, and registration is free. 
Have a one-on-one Zoom meeting with our experts and get to know our capabilities of life sciences.

We may be a good partner for you in your research projects! We have included an overview of our available services below:

Hyderabad India – 19 April 2021: Bioserve Biotechnologies India Pvt Ltd, a 100% owned subsidiary of REPROCELL Inc, is pleased to announce the launch of clinical oncology diagnostic service in India. This new service is clinician-friendly, aiming to deliver comprehensive, NGS-based genomic profiling in oncology targeting a wide range of cancers. The company also provides pharmacogenomics testing using single gene panels, offering researchers detailed interpretations and recommendations that provide powerful insights for the development of targeted therapies.

We are pleased to announce that on Tuesday 6^th April 2021, REPROCELL launched a new testing service for the identification for Covid-19 variants using the Allplex SARS-CoV-2 Variants I Assay (referred to below as Allplex) manufactured by Seegene Inc. (South Korea). This will be offered in addition to full screening test for Covid-19 using cutting-edge SmartAmp technology that REPROCELL launched on March 1^st 2021.

YOKOHAMA, 22 March, 2021/ REPROCELL has initiated a collaboration with Blacktrace Holdings Ltd in the sales of their Nadia series: a single-cell analytical system, in Japan.

YOKOHAMA, March 16, 2021/ We are pleased to announce that our cell processing facility, REPROCELL Regenerative Medicine Center (located in Life Innovation Center in the Kanagawa region), was certified as manufacturing facility for cell culture products (registration number: FA3200006) on March 8th, 2021 by Kanto-Shinetsu Regional Bureau of Health and Welfare.

NEW YORK, March 11, 2021/PR Newswire/ Hoth Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: HOTH), a biopharmaceutical company, today announced it has executed a partnership agreement with REPROCELL, a contract research organization (CRO), providing a unique combination of products and services to power translational research, to assess the effect of the HT-003 therapeutic platform on tissue from ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease patients. Fresh explants of ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease tissues obtained from surgical resection will be used as the test systems to investigate the therapeutic potential of the HT-003 drugs via measurement of key biomarkers for these diseases. All testing will be performed by REPROCELL.  

Hyderabad India – 11 March 2021: Bioserve Biotechnologies Pvt Ltd, 100% owned subsidiary of REPROCELL Inc, is pleased to announce the launch of Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT) services in India.

[Glasgow, UK] REPROCELL has contributed to a novel publication detailing advancements in induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) reprogramming. The paper, published in New Biotechnology by Dr Amer Rana and his team of researchers from the University of Cambridge, was in collaboration with Dr Sarah Eminli-Meissner, Head of Business for Stem Cell Research at REPROCELL. It describes techniques for reprogramming blood-derived cells endothelial progenitor cells, or “EPCs”, into iPSCs.

[Yokohama, Japan] REPROCELL will launch a new PCR testing service for COVID-19 from March 2021 in collaboration with DNAFORM Inc: a Japanese start-up company based on cutting-edge technologies developed by RIKEN, Japan’s largest comprehensive research institute.

All patients have been registered at ten sites in Japan for the Phase II clinical trial of Stemchymal®, a human adipose-derived stem cell product exclusively licensed in Japan by Steminent Biotherapeutics Inc. (hereinafter referred to as Steminent), where the safety and efficacy of the regenerative therapeutic will be evaluated in patients with spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA).

[Hyderabad, India] Axion BioSystems, Inc., the world leader in multi-well microelectrode array (MEA) systems, has announced Bioserve Biotechnologies Pvt Ltd (REPROCELL’s 100% owned subsidiary) as the new distributor of its Maestro systems and consumables in India.

17 December 2020 [Japan, Yokohama]: REPROCELL has announced that they will launch a new service to generate individual specific induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) in January, “Personal iPS” service. REPROCELL will start taking orders from January 2021 in Japan. REPROCELL has also launched a new B2C website to promote the Personal iPS service, which is currently only available in Japan.

Beltsville, USA: REPROCELL, an industry leader in the use of human biospecimens for medical research, has partnered with Scientist.com, the healthcare industry’s leading marketplace for life science research, to bring its services to the global biotechnology community. REPROCELL joins a select group of highly-rated marketplace VIP suppliers that commit to outstanding customer service and offer a discount to biotech customers.

Rotterdam, The Netherlands, VIROCLINICS-DDL is pleased to announce the signing of a new collaboration agreement with REPROCELL. REPROCELL will provide sample processing services to VIROCLINICS-DDL to support several clinical research projects.

March 19, 2020

Yokahoma, Japan: REPROCELL announce the launch of StemRNA™ Entero: human iPSC-derived intestinal epithelial cells.

StemRNA™ Entero cells are intestinal epithelial cells derived from human iPSCs. This model was developed using advanced technologies established by Professor Shoen Kume (The Tokyo Institute of Technology) and REPROCELL, Inc. StemRNA™ Entero cells closely mimic the gene expression of intestinal epithelial cells; for example, they express high levels of the CYP3A4 gene – a key enzyme for metabolism – compared to Caco2 cells, an intestinal model system widely used to measure the absorption and metabolism of novel therapeutics. StemRNA™ Entero cells are designed for use as a more clinically relevant alternative to Caco2 cells in drug development.

Yokohama, Japan: REPROCELL is delighted to announce the launch a new service for consumers, Personal iPS, in which induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) re established for future regenerative medicine treatment.

REPROCELL has recently joined an international consortium, led by Belgium company etheRNA, to develop a novel mRNA vaccine against CoV-2. Administered intranasally, the proposed vaccine is intended primarily for high risk populations such as healthcare workers and families of confirmed cases. It is designed to be protective against future variations of the virus by targeting conserved epitopes from the whole CoV-2 genome.  In this article, REPROCELL (Biopta) CEO, Dr David Bunton, explains what separates this vaccine from other candidates in development.

REPROCELL is pleased to announce that the first patient has been registered and the test article administered at Nagoya University in the Phase II clinical trial of the regenerative medicine product Stemchymal^®.

Dates: 19-20 February 2020
Venue: Copthorne Tara, London, United Kingdom
Website: https://www.smi-online.co.uk/pharmaceuticals/uk/3D-Cell-Culture

REPROCELL Europe’s CSO Professor Stefan Przyborski will giving the keynote address on 3D cell culture at this year’s SMi 4th Annual Conference London, UK. There Prof Przyborski will also be showcasing REPROCELL’s range of Alvetex products for 3D cell culture.

A recent study by researchers from REPROCELL found that IBD patients display different drug absorption profiles to healthy individuals. This is the first time that drug absorption has been estimated using inflamed GI tissue from this patient group. A similar study, performed by Keio University, estimated drug absorption in healthy areas of GI tissue from ulcerative colitis (UC) donors.

Glasgow, UK: REPROCELL (Biopta) today announced that they can predict test article permeability using gastrointestinal (GI) resections from Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) donors. This service, which is first of its kind to market, will allow ADME/DMPK scientists to estimate compound permeability in living human IBD tissue.

Glasgow, UK: REPROCELL (Biopta) today announced the successful publication of a novel study in  pharmacology and genomics to improve strategies for the development of precision medicines. The study – performed in collaboration with the NHS, academia and Scottish companies Fios Genomics, Systemic, and Aridhia – used human living lung tissue from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) donors to explain inter-patient variation in drug efficacy.

Lantern Pharma a clinical stage oncology biotech leveraging A.I. and machine learning genomics company has selected REPROCELL Inc. to provide drug screening and drug sensitivity services.

The REPROCELL group has signed a non-exclusive distributorship agreement with A.N.H. Scientific Marketing Co. Ltd. to distribute REPROCELL’s products and services in Thailand.

Maryland, September 2019: The Maryland based REPROCELL Inc. subsidiary, REPROCELL USA Inc. announces that they have received a $292,580 grant from the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund (MSCRF). 

Yokohama, Japan, & San Carlos, California, USA — REPROCELL, Inc., and NeuCyte, Inc., today announced a new distributorship.

Although NeuCyte has direct sales in North America, this new distributorship will grant REPROCELL customers access to NeuCyte's pure and ready-to-use iPSC-derived glutamatergic and GABAergic induced neurons (iNs), supplied with astroglia, media and supplements. These components come in kit formats so the user can set up well-defined, highly functional in vitro co-culture systems for compound screening, disease modeling and neurotoxicity assessment.

Axion BioSystems, Inc., the world leader in multi-well microelectrode array (MEA) systems, has announced REPROCELL as the new distributor of its Maestro systems and consumables in Japan.

The lab-scale system will allow researchers to study and culture stem cells in suspension

Glasgow, UK: REPROCELL Europe Ltd today announced exclusive distribution rights to a single-use reactor series for stem cell culture in 11 European countries*. The ABLE Biott Bioreactor System is a lab-scaled bioreactor that offers a new way for stem cell researchers to study and culture pluripotent stem cells.

“We are excited to offer our customers the chance to access this innovative new bioreactor, which is ideal for the culture of pluripotent stem cells” said Dr David Bunton, CEO at REPROCELL Europe Ltd. “The product has been rapidly and widely adopted by stem cell scientists in Japan and the US, with the recent CE marking now enabling its use in Europe”.

Yokohama Japan – REPROCELL Inc. today announced that it has established the current good manufacturing practice (cGMP) cell processing suite at Life Innovation Center (LIC) in Tonomachi area in Kawasaki City for production of iPS Cell-derived Glial Progenitors (iGRP) for treatment of CNS disorders. The suite has been designed to support Clinical Trials of cell therapy products.

The return on R&D investments in the UK is at its lowest rate in nine years, despite Britain’s global presence in science, technology and health. Pharmaceutical attrition rates continue to rise, and the UK biotech landscape remains fragmented. Medicines Discovery Catapult (MDC) aims to connect the UK R&D community more effectively by putting the patient at the heart of the drug discovery process. As part of our collaboration with the MDC, REPROCELL have pledged to provide custom drug discovery assays using live human tissues.

Wave 3 of the UK Government’s science and innovation audits (SIAs) have been published today, identifying a number of strengths in different industries across the country — including precision medicine innovation in Scotland, led by the University of Glasgow.

• The collaboration is part of Medicines Discovery Catapult’s Virtual R&D network, which aims to support UK SMEs develop and execute their drug discovery projects with industrial rigour.
• The collaboration is part of Medicines Discovery Catapult’s Virtual R&D network, which aims to support UK SMEs develop and execute their drug discovery projects with industrial rigour

Glasgow UK, 12 March 2019 – REPROCELL Europe Ltd (REPROCELL), a UK-based human tissue research company, today announced a strategic partnership with Medicines Discovery Catapult.

BELTSVILLE, MD. — REPROCELL Inc. and Fox Chase, Ltd., a member of the Fox Chase Cancer Center family of organizations, have formed a joint venture to begin operations of multi-site biosample repository facilities globally. The new Delaware-based joint venture company, Biorepository LLC, will act as a hub to manage its global subsidiaries, and its first subsidiary will be established in India in March.

The REPROCELL group has signed a non-exclusive distributorship agreement with RUITAI Biotechnology (Shanghai) Ltd to distribute REPROCELL’s products in China.

If you are a science student nearing the end of your university program, developing your professional network in order to land a good job is a daunting task.  In this video, Zara Puckrin and Karen Bingham talk about Zara's experience interning at REPROCELL's Glasgow research lab and the benefits of internships for university students.

Funding will be used to improve efficiency of induced pluripotent stem cell production

REPROCELL announced today we have launched a cutting-edge genome editing service utilizing next-generation CRISPR/Cas9 technology, called SNIPER. This service is offered in collaboration with GenAhead Bio Inc. (Kanagawa, Japan; hereinafter referred to as “GenAhead”). GenAhead is a venture company established by a team of experts in genetic modification technology. Since April 2018, REPROCELL has had a strategic investment in GenAhead.

How can industry inspire the next generation of life science professionals?  In this post, summer intern Zara Puckrin describes the challenges faced by today’s graduates and explains how REPROCELL have helped her to bridge the gap between university and work.

San Diego, CA, USA – Steminent Biotherapeutics Inc. (“Steminent” or “Company”) a private, clinical-stage cell-therapy company with offices in Taiwan, San Diego and Shanghai, is pleased to announce that the Clinical Trial Notification (“CTN”), submitted by their Japan partner, REPROCELL, to the Japan Pharmaceuticals and Medical Device Agency (“PMDA”) for a Stemchymal® SCA Phase II clinical trial for Polyglutamine Spinocerebellar Ataxia (“PolyQ SCA”) has been approved. This is another key milestone for Steminent’s international Stemchymal® SCA Phase II clinical development program with trials now moving ahead in Taiwan, US, and Japan.

REPROCELL’s BioServe and Biopta tissue procurement networks combine to create a new service isolating human primary cells.

REPROCELL India (formerly BioServe Biotechnologies) is a state-of-the-art biotechnology company with a mission to serve the life sciences research ecosystem.

REPROCELL announces that it has acquired all the shares of BioServe Biotechnologies India Pvt. Ltd., (Hyderabad, India hereinafter referred to as “BioServe India”) from Cancer Genetics Inc. (USA). Bioserve India now becomes a subsidiary of REPROCELL.

REPROCELL Europe’s CEO, Dr David Bunton, was part of last week's trade mission to China undertaken by the Scottish First Minister, the Rt. Hon. Nicola Sturgeon MSP.

REPROCELL Europe Ltd was pleased to receive a visit from Derek Mackay, the Scottish National Party’s Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Constitution, on 05 April 2017.

On Tuesday 20^th March 2018 REPROCELL Europe Ltd’s CEO Dr David Bunton appeared in front of the Economy, Jobs and Fair Work Committee at the Scottish Parliament to discuss Scotland’s Economic performance.  He was also joined by:

• Dr Diane Harbison, CEO, of Stratified Medicine Scotland

• Claire Mack, CEO, of Scottish Renewables

• Gareth Wynn, Stakeholder and Communications Director, Oil & Gas UK

The pharmaceutical industry suffers from very high rates of clinical failure, because preclinical predictions of efficacy often fail to realize a clinical benefit. In part, this can be attributed to an over-reliance on animal models of efficacy, which often do not fully predict human responses to drugs.

Two areas where very few predictive models are available is inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)—which includes ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease—and gastrointestinal cancer—specifically cancer of the small intestine and the colon. REPROCELL has set out to solve these challenges by developing new preclinical tests based on human tissues, which we will explore in this article.

The SMi Group’s conference on 3D Cell Culture will be held on 21-22 February 2018.The venue is the Copthorne Tara Hotel in Kensington, London, UK.

 Find out more at www.3d-CellCulture.com

REPROCELL Europe’s CSO Professor Stefan Przyborski will chair the first day of the conference.

REPROCELL’s Alvetex, a scaffold for 3D cell culture and bioengineered tissue models, was in Durham University (UK) News.

New Cell Therapies for Central Nervous System Diseases Using IPSC-Derived Products

PALO ALTO, CA, November 8, 2017 – Science Exchange, the world’s leading and most secure enterprise platform for outsourced research services and procurement of human biospecimens, announced today that REPROCELL has selected the Science Exchange platform as the primary marketplace to offer access to its predictive drug discovery assays for the biopharma research community.

REPROCELL Europe Ltd’s CEO, Dr David Bunton, has co-authored an article titled New Strategy that has been published in the European Pharmaceutical Review, Autumn 2017.

This following video is from Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland's YouTube channel:

New headquarters strengthen drug discovery services and translational research, and generate new employment opportunities in Scotland. Press release 10th August 2017.

REPROCELL Europe’s CEO, Dr David Bunton presented at the recent NC3Rs meeting on the use of human tissues in cancer research. The conference considered the potential for human tissue models to help reduce clinical drug attrition and provide more relevant models of cancer using techniques such as 3D models, PDX systems and precision-cut tumour slices. Chaired by Professor Gareth Thomas of the University of Southampton, presentations were delivered from, among others, Professor Will Shu and Dr Nick Lesley, who described developments in 3D bioprinting of tumours, and Dr Phil Quinlan of the UKCRC Tissue Directory.

REPROCELL Inc. (Japan)’s CEO Dr Chikafumi Yokoyama had the honour of meeting with Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs for the Scottish Government, during her visit to the Scottish Enterprise Tokyo office, today (14 February 2017).

Scotland’s Life Sciences Dinner was held on 2nd February 2017 at the National Museum of Scotland. The event was attended by CEO and Chairman of REPROCELL Inc, Dr Chikafumi Yokoyama, as well as senior management members of REPROCELL Europe Ltd, to join and celebrate the outstanding achievements of the Life Sciences sector in Scotland over the past year amongst over 800 guests.

The SMi Group’s 3D Cell Culture 2017 Conference (22-23 Feb) will be chaired by REPROCELL Europe’s chief scientific officer (CSO), Professor Stefan Przyborski. He will also be giving the first lecture in the conference.

REPROCELL announces an entrustment contract with Healios K.K. (headquarters: Minato Ward, Tokyo; president and CEO: Tadanao Kagimoto; hereafter, Healios) for sample testing support of human clinical trials conducted by Healios, as well as the formation of said contract on the same day.

Today, REPROCELL announces the formation of a technology development agreement and entrustment contract with FANCL Corp. (headquarters: Naka-ku, Yokohama; CEO: Kazuyoshi Miyajima; henceforth, FANCL) for the development of a 3D model system derived from human iPS cells.

• Company: REPROCELL, Inc. (JASDAQ Company code: 4978)
• Representative: CEO Chikafumi Yokoyama
• Inquiries: CFO Daisuke Usui (TEL.045-475-3887)

Today, REPROCELL Inc. (“REPROCELL”) has entered into a partnership with Steminent Biotherapeutics Inc. (“Steminent”) to develop and commercialize Steminent’s allogeneic stem cell therapy product, Stemchymal, in Japan. This announcement is in response to the acceptance of the agreement from the board committee on the event date.

REPROCELL Europe has won the Corporate Vision Technology Innovation Award 2016 for Alvetex technology for 3D cell culture.

ReproCELL Europe Ltd’s Chief Scientific Officer Prof Stefan Przyborski is giving a public lecture on “Scaffold Cell Culture Technology for Generation of In Vivo-like Tissue Models” at the British Biophysical Society 2016 Biennial Meeting 6th-8th July, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.

Professor Stefan Przyborski, Chief Scientific Officer of REPROCELL Europe (formerly Reinnervate), is to give a seminar on Alvetex next week, 24^th May 2016.

Proteon Therapeutics Announces Publication in Cardiovascular Pharmacology: Open Access Describing Promising Nonclinical Results for Vonapanitase in Improving Arteriovenous Fistula (AVF) Maturation and patency in Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Patients.

Proteon Therapeutics Announces Publication in the Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology of Promising Nonclinical Results for Vonapanitase in Peripheral Artery Disease.

Proteon Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq:PRTO), a longstanding client of Biopta, is developing novel, first-in-class pharmaceuticals to address the medical needs of patients with kidney and vascular diseases. Proteon today announced publication of additional nonclinical data on investigational drug vonapanitase in peripheral artery disease (PAD). The ex vivo study demonstrated that a single treatment of vonapanitase following angioplasty of excised atherosclerotic human tibial arteries altered artery compliance. Increased compliance is known to correlate with arterial dilation.

We are pleased to announce that Reinnervate Ltd has been awarded Corporate Vision’s 2015 Technology Innovator Award for Alvetex 3D cell culture. Alvetex has been awarded the title, “Most Advanced 3D Cell Technology.”

While the first British ESA astronaut Tim Peake is currently on the International Space Station (ISS) and is about to make his first spacewalk, now is a good time to mention again that Reinnervate’s flagship product, Alvetex® Scaffold, has been used as part of a BBSRC-funded project on the ISS in recent months.

The Japanese regenerative medicine company REPROCELL Inc. has announced the acquisition of the Scottish life sciences company, Biopta. The acquisition of Biopta and its US subsidiary, Biopta Inc. is expected to complete on the 10th of December 2015 and is aimed at strengthening REPROCELL’s pharmaceutical industry-targeted drug discovery services. The acquisition will also see an immediate investment to expand Biopta’s range of contract research services. Biopta, which will continue to operate from its headquarters in Glasgow, aims to grow its workforce to 30 over the next three years and Biopta’s management views the synergies within the REPROCELL Group of companies as key to its growth ambitions.

The impact of fresh human tissue studies for translational work performed at Biopta has once again been demonstrated with this latest publication at the European Respiratory Society. This abstract describes the biological mechanisms by which a novel chemokine antagonist, AXP1275, impacts lung inflammation through its action at the CCR3-muscarinic M3 receptor heterodimer. The disease relevance of such biological complexity can only be truly demonstrated in fresh human tissue, in an environment where the receptor and pathway interaction occurs naturally.

Notice concerning the publication of a paper concerning “3D culture model construction of mouse neurons” from a company in our group in the international neuroscience journal ‘Neuroscience Letters’

• Company: REPROCELL,Inc. (JASDAQ Company code: 4978)
• Representative: Chikafumi Yokoyama, PhD
• Contact: info-emea@reprocell.com

We are writing to inform you that a paper on the topic of “3D culture model construction of mouse neurons”, written by a company pertaining to our group, Reinnervate (UK) [now REPROCELL Europe], along with other contributors including Durham University (UK), who are engaged in cutting-edge research in the field of biotechnology, has recently been published in the ‘Neuroscience Letters’, a leading international journal.

• Company: REPROCELL, Inc. (JASDAQ Company code: 4978)
• Representative: Chikafumi Yokoyama, PhD
• Contact: info-us@reprocell.com

“ReproHP Medium,” a highly functional culture fluid for human primary liver cells developed in conjunction with the National Cancer Center, is set to go on sale in December this year.

• Company: REPROCELL, Inc. (JASDAQ Company code: 4978)
• Representative: Chikafumi Yokoyama, PhD
• Contact: info-emea@reprocell.com

We are pleased to announce that a research report on “3D Skin Model Construction,” submitted by our corporate group member Reinnervate (Great Britain), pioneering biotechnology research center Durham University (Great Britain) and others, has been published in the scientific journal “Molecular Cancer Therapeutics,” a journal with global authority on cancer treatment.

• Company: REPROCELL, Inc. (JASDAQ Company code: 4978)
• Representative: Chikafumi Yokoyama, PhD
• Contact: info-us@reprocell.com

Joint Announcement with Ajinomoto Co., Inc.

• Company: REPROCELL, Inc. (JASDAQ Company code: 4978)
• Representative: Chikafumi Yokoyama, PhD
• Contact: info-us@reprocell.com

We are pleased to announce that our company has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with Keio University regarding myocardial cells derived from disease-type (long QT syndrome, a congenital heart disease) iPS cells.

Announcement: REPROCELL’s project, “Prototype Development of a Large-Scale Production Mechanism of Highly Functional Cardiomyocytes Derived From Human iPS Cells”, has been chosen to receive a Subsidy for Collaborative Projects to Advance the Creation of an Innovative Manufacturing Industry (FY 2015-2016). The subsidy will be added to the income statement as non-operating income

• Company: REPROCELL, Inc.
• Representative: President and Representative Director Shuji Yokoyama (Company code: 4978)
• Point of contact: Business Management Director Daigo Obita (Telephone: 045-475-3887)

We would like to announce that on August 3rd, 2015, one of our projects, “Prototype Development of a Large-Scale Production Mechanism of Highly Functional Cardiomyocytes Derived From Human iPS Cells” (hereafter, “the project”) was selected to receive a Subsidy for Collaborative Projects to Advance the Creation of an Innovative Manufacturing Industry (FY 2015-2016).

Announcement: FY 2014-2015 Grant (Additional) for Manufacturing, Commerce, and Service Innovation Has Been Awarded to “Prototype Development of a Liver Cell Kit Derived From Functional Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells for Applications in Drug Discovery”

NEW PRODUCT ANNOUNCEMENT: Stemgent StemRNA™-SR Reprogramming Kit

We are pleased to announce that Stemgent Inc. (Cambridge, MA), a REPROCELL Group Company (Yokohama, Japan – JASDAQ: 4978) has launched its new Stemgent StemRNA™-SR Reprogramming Kit, the first commercially available RNA reprogramming kit applicable to cellular reprogramming of a blood-derived cell type.

We are pleased to announce that our company has entered into an exclusive distribution and licensing agreement with Keio University regarding the myocardial cells originating from disease type iPS cells (derived from patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy).

Sedgefield, UK. April 2015 – Market leading 3D cell culture company Reinnervate Ltd, part of the ReproCELL group, today announced that a rocket carrying its Alvetex® Scaffold technology blasted into Space this week. Alvetex will be used in experiments on board the International Space Station (ISS).

A recently published paper by Imogen Smith et al. demonstrates the use of the Alvetex platform to culture 3D differentiated human neural stem cells. The cells formed spontaneously active, functional neuronal networks which were not seen in an otherwise comparable 2D culture system. The 3D neural networks responded reproducibly to pharmacological treatments revealing functional glutamatergic synapses. Further imaging analysis revealed a neuronal and glial population, where markers of maturity were apparent in the former. Microrarray analysis of the cultures of the 3D and 2D neuronal cultures showed substantial differences in the gene expression profile of genes coding for neuronal function, extracellular matrix and cytoskeleton.

Biopta's CEO publishes a review of functional human tissue assays in a new book entitled "Human-based systems for translational research", edited by Dr Robert Coleman and published by the Royal Society of Chemistry.

A new paper in the Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology describes a potential treatment for atherosclerosis. Proteon Therapeutics, Waltham, MA, has developed a recombinant pancreatic elastase that was tested for its ability to dilate atherosclerotic human arteries, ethically obtained from patients with peripheral artery disease and set up at Biopta's human tissue research facility in Scotland.

Scientists at AstraZeneca in the UK have compared the activity of a diverse compound set in 2D and 3D cell cultures using Alvetex® Scaffold 384 well plates in an automated Oncology HTS (High Throughput Screening) setting.

YOKOHAMA, Japan — REPROCELL (JASDAQ:4978) announced that it will acquire the iPS Cell Business Unit of Stemgent, Inc. This acquisition allows the REPROCELL Group to expand the product lineups of its iPS Cell Business and establish technical advantages, promoting great differentiation.

Location: REPROCELL Inc. (Yokohama, Japan)
Date: August 5, 2014

The Japanese regenerative medicine company REPROCELL Inc. has announced the acquisition of Reinnervate Ltd. (UK), one of the leading companies in the field of 3D cell culture. REPROCELL intends to combine its iPSC-derived cells with the Alvetex range of 3D cell culture products to produce and sell next-generation tools for drug toxicity testing, neuro-science and cancer research.

Biopta Ltd, the human tissue-based contract research organisation, today announced a major development in discovery research with the launch of the first catalog of assays based on human functional tissues. The catalogue serves to provide the scientific community with ready access to assays that improve the prediction of safety, absorption and efficacy of drug candidates in humans.

Reinnervate today announced the launch of a low-cost, simple system for combining 3D cell culture with dynamic circulation and perfusion of media.

In a recent collaboration with Merck, Biopta conducted human functional tissue experiments to investigate the mechanisms underlying two anti-arrhythmic drugs. Hemodynamic effects are often noted as adverse events with the use of antiarrhythmic drugs, including those used for the treatment of atrial fibrillation. To read a paper which explores the intrinsic vasorelaxant and inotropic effects of vernakalant and flecainide in isolated human subcutaneous resistance artery and in ventricular trabecular muscle preparations click the following link:

Sedgefield, UK. November 2013 – 3D cell culture company Reinnervate Ltd today announced partnerships with two oncology-focussed CRO’s to offer 3D tumour cell screening services. The CROs, Oncotest GmbH (Freiburg, Germany) and SBH Sciences (Natick, MA, USA) will both offer a new service for clients wishing to try out cancer 3D cell culture screening for the first time or who wish to evaluate new tumour types in their models.

Sedgefield, UK. September 2013 – Specialist 3D cell culture company Reinnervate Ltd today announced that it is entering into a collaboration with leading stem cell company Roslin Cellab to develop 3D stem cell printing products and services using Alvetex® technology.

Reinnervate’s CSO, Professor Stefan Przyborski, will be participating at the XCellR8 Human Primary Cell Culture course, which will be held on 7-8 November 2013 at their new premises in the Sci-Tech Daresbury Innovation Centre, UK.

Planning 3D Osteocyte cell culture experiments on 2014 International Space Station (ISS) mission

Sedgefield, UK. August 2013 – Market leading 3D cell culture company Reinnervate Ltd today announced that its Alvetex® Scaffold system has been chosen by a group at Massachusetts General Hospital for the first ever 3D osteocytic cell culture experiments in microgravity.

Today Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond announced the creation of a £20M Stratified Medicine Scotland Innovation Centre (SMS-IC), at the new South Glasgow Hospitals Campus. This is one of three innovation centres to be funded and signals commitment to the Scottish life sciences sector. Predicting in advance which groups of patients will respond to a particular therapy is termed stratified medicine (or personalised medicine). It has sometimes been summarised as providing “the right therapy, for the right patient, in the right dose, at the right time”.

Oncotest to offer enhanced pre-clinical oncology and cancer research screening services incorporating Alvetex® Scaffold 3D cell culture technology

Sedgefield, UK. 07th January 2013 – Market leading 3D cell culture company, Reinnervate Ltd, today announced that it has entered into a co-marketing agreement with the pre-clinical Oncology CRO Oncotest GmbH.

Sedgefield, UK. November 2012 – Market leading 3D cell culture company, Reinnervate Ltd, today announced that it has launched and commenced shipments of Alvetex® Scaffold 96 well plates to customers.

Heidelberg, Germany and Sedgefield, UK. 9th July 2012 – Two market leading companies in the field of cell based assays and predictive toxicology today announced a new product collaboration. Medicyte(inventors of the upcyte® technology) and Reinnervate (market leaders in the growing field of 3D cell culture) said they will work together to combine their upcyte® and Alvetex® Scaffold technologies to bring next generation cell bases assays to the biopharma and academic research markets.

Sedgefield, UK. June 2012 – Prof Stefan Przyborski, CSO and founder of Reinnervate Ltd has been recognised with a top award from the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Sedgefield, UK and Männedorf, Switzerland. 7 June 2012. Reinnervate Ltd and Tecan Trading AG, have signed a co-marketing agreement to develop a range of automated solutions for 3D cell culture, based on the Freedom EVO® liquid handling workstations and Reinnervate’s Alvetex® Scaffold 3D cell culturing technology.

Sedgefield, UK. April 2012. Reinnervate Ltd and Roslin Cellab, two leading UK companies in the fields of 3D cell culture and stem cell biology, today announced that they will join forces to develop protocols for the three dimensional growth of human Embryonic Stem Cells (hESCs).

Reinnervate (inventors of Alvetex® Scaffold) and Kirkstall (developers of the Quasi-Vivo® system) today announced that they will collaborate to bring next-generation three dimensional (3D) cell culture products to market in 2012. The two UK companies are world leaders in the development of cell culture systems that bridge the current gap between 2D in vitro cell culture and animal models.

Sedgefield, UK. November 2011. Reinnervate (Sedgefield, UK) and Mirus Bio (Madison, USA) today announced a commercial agreement to launch a new range of products for the transfection of cells cultured in 3D.

Sedgefield, UK. 23rd June 2011. Reinnervate, an innovative life sciences company driving the adoption of routine 3D cell culture, is delighted to announce that Alvetex®, its breakthrough 3D cell culture technology, is among the winners of the prestigious 49th Annual R&D 100 Awards.

Sedgefield, UK. 1st December 2010. Reinnervate, an innovative life sciences company driving the adoption of routine 3D cell culture, is proud to announce that Alvetex®, its breakthrough 3D cell culture technology, is among the winners of The Scientist magazine’s“Top 10 Life Science Innovations of 2010”.

Sedgefield, UK. 22nd November 2010. Reinnervate, an innovative life sciences company driving the adoption of routine 3D cell culture, is very pleased to announce today the first commercial launch of Alvetex®, its breakthrough 3D cell culture technology.

Sedgefield, UK. 16th November 2010. Reinnervate, an innovative life sciences company driving the adoption of routine 3D cell culture, today announced its expansion into a new purpose-built research and production facility at NETPark near Sedgefield, UK. The move to the circa 10,000 square foot facility has enabled Reinnervate to begin commercial production of its Alvetex® 3D cell culture technology in readiness for its planned 4Q 2010 launch. Pictures of the new facility are available upon request.

The potency of Reinnervate’s ec23® to enhance neuronal differentiation when added to cell culture growth media has been demonstrated in a paper accepted for publication in the next issue of Journal of Neuroscience Methods.¹

Reinnervate has been granted a Chemistry Innovation Knowledge Transfer Network / EPSRC Industrial CASE Award to fund the development of a next-generation Alvetex® scaffold optimised for 3D hepatocyte culture. Enhanced 3D in vitro models of liver tissues are anticipated to be of great importance to academic and industrial investigators for basic research and testing the function and toxicity of new pharmaceuticals.

Reinnervate has been accepted as a new member of the In Vitro Testing Industrial Platform (IVTIP). The Company joins a group of over 35 organisations from across Europe actively involved in developing technologies for in vitro testing with the aim of replacing, reducing and refining animal testing.

Sedgefield, UK. 27th May 2010. Reinnervate, the life sciences company driving the adoption of routine 3D cell culture, today announced that it had successfully raised £1.8 million in new equity funding to complete the development of and support the commercialisation of its Alvetex® 3D cell culture technology platform. The funds were raised from Newcastle-based NorthStar Ventures, which committed £500,000 with the remaining amount coming from the Business Investment Group (BiG), management and private investors.