Business Wire

PHC and CCRM Collaborate to Develop Primary T-Cell Expansion Culture Processes to Enhance Efficiency and Improve Cell Quality

Share

PHC Corporation has signed a Master Collaboration Agreement with CCRM to work together on the development of primary T-cell(*1) expansion culture processes that will seek to accelerate the manufacturing of cell and gene therapy (CGT) products. This joint initiative will integrate “LiCellGrowTM(*2), PHC’s cell expansion system under development, with CCRM’s deep knowledge of regenerative medicine and biomanufacturing to establish new culture processes to improve cell culture efficiency and quality for CGTs.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250209611769/en/

*For research purposes only. Anticipated visual image of LiCellGrow. All features subject to change. (Graphic: Business Wire)

Primary T-cells are used in process development and manufacturing for CGTs, such as in CAR-T cell therapy.(*3) However, primary T-cells derived directly from patients often exhibit significant variability in growth rates and quality, making it challenging for researchers to ensure stable cell counts and maintain quality throughout the culture process. To address these challenges and improve the quality of cell-based therapeutics, better cell culture processes are needed.

Chikara Takauo, Director of PHC and Head of the Biomedical Division that leads the company’s Life Science business, commented: "We are delighted to begin this joint research and development initiative with CCRM, a leader with 14 years of experience in the commercialization of regenerative medicine and CGT. By combining the technologies and expertise of both of our organizations, we aim to advance the manufacturing processes for cell-based therapeutics and cell culture technologies, contributing to the early practical application of CGT."

PHC has developed proprietary In-Line monitoring technology to track key indicators of cell metabolism in real-time, which can help researchers address issues like cell quality and reproducibility, and establish optimal cell culture methods. This technology enables precise, continuous measurement of glucose uptake and lactate production during cell culture, providing a more precise understanding of changes in cell metabolism over time than is possible to observe using traditional sampling methods. In 2024, PHC launched the live-cell metabolic analyzer "LiCellMoTM(*4)" incorporating this technology in the United States, Canada, Europe and some Asian markets including Japan, China, Singapore and Taiwan.

Building on this technology, the company is also developing "LiCellGrow," a cell expansion system designed to exchange media automatically based on the metabolic state of the cells and to maintain the culture environment in an optimal state. PHC aims to further expand its product lineup to seamlessly support research, process development, and commercial manufacturing of cell-based therapeutics.

"We are excited to collaborate with PHC to unlock new possibilities in cell culture,” explained Michael May, President and CEO of CCRM. “Technology development partnerships, like this one, are key to advancing the industry and making CGT more cost effective, and therefore more accessible to patients around the world.”

The joint research with CCRM will allow PHC to analyze culture conditions using "LiCellGrow" to establish optimal culture processes for primary T-cells. The collaboration will seek to accelerate LiCellGrow’s development, contributing to improved cell quality, enhanced manufacturing efficiency, and cost reduction in the production of cell-based therapeutics.

(*1) Primary T cells, or autologous T cells, refer to T cells that are directly isolated from the body. T cells are part of the immune system and develop from stem cells in the bone marrow. They help protect the body from infection and may help fight cancer.
https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/t-cell
https://www.cancer.gov/search/results?swKeyword=autologous

(*2) URL: http://www.phchd.com/us/biomedical/licellgrow

(*3) CAR T-cell therapy is a type of treatment in which a patient's T cells (a type of immune system cell) are changed in the laboratory so they will attack cancer cells.
https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/car-t-cell-therapy

(*4) URL: https://www.phchd.com/us/biomedical/live-cell-metabolic-analyzer

About the Biomedical Division of PHC Corporation
Established in 1969, PHC Corporation is a Japanese subsidiary of PHC Holdings Corporation (TOKYO: 6523), a global healthcare company that develops, manufactures, sells, and services solutions across diabetes management, healthcare solutions, diagnostics and life sciences. The Biomedical Division supports the life sciences industry helping researchers and healthcare providers in around 110 countries and regions through its PHCbi-branded laboratory and equipment and services including CO2 incubators and ultra-low temperature freezers.
www.phchd.com/global/phc

About PHC Holdings Corporation (PHC Group)
PHC Holdings Corporation (TOKYO: 6523) is a global healthcare company with a mission of contributing to the health of society through healthcare solutions that have a positive impact and improve the lives of people. Its subsidiaries (referred to collectively as PHC Group) include PHC Corporation, Ascensia Diabetes Care, Epredia, LSI Medience Corporation, Wemex and Mediford. Together, these companies develop, manufacture, sell and service solutions across diabetes management, healthcare solutions, diagnostics and life sciences. PHC Group’s consolidated net sales in FY2023 were JPY 353.9 billion with global distribution of products and services in more than 125 countries.
www.phchd.com/global

About CCRM and OmniaBio
CCRM is a global, public-private partnership headquartered in Canada. It has received funding from the Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario, and leading academic and industry partners. CCRM supports the development of regenerative medicines and associated enabling technologies, with a specific focus on cell and gene therapy. A network of researchers, leading companies, investors, and entrepreneurs, CCRM accelerates the translation of scientific discovery into new companies and marketable products for patients with specialized teams, dedicated funding, and unique infrastructure. In 2022, CCRM established OmniaBio Inc., a commercial-stage CDMO for manufacturing cell and gene therapies. CCRM is hosted by the University of Toronto. Visit us at ccrm.ca.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250209611769/en/

Contacts

Contact for media inquiries:
Investor Relations & Corporate Communications Department
PHC Holdings Corporation
TEL: +81-3-6778-5311
E-mail: phc-pr@gg.phchd.com

Contact for product and service:
Marketing Department, Biomedical Division PHC Corporation
E-mail: masayo.okada@phchd.com

Contact for CCRM:
Stacey Johnson
1-647-309-1830
stacey.johnson@ccrm.ca

About Business Wire

For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.

www.businesswire.com

Subscribe to releases from Business Wire

Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Latest releases from Business Wire

Galderma Successfully Placed an Inaugural EUR 500 Million Single Tranche Eurobond and New Dual Tranche CHF 435 Million CHF Bonds14.3.2025 08:00:00 EET | Press release

Galderma Group AG (SWX:GALD): NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION IN THE UNITED STATES OR IN ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE RESTRICTED BY APPLICABLE LAW OR REGULATION. Galderma (SIX: GALD) has made significant progress on its refinancing strategy to spread out its maturity profile, diversify funding sources and reduce its interest costs, by successfully issuing the following bonds: EUR 500 million bond, with a 5-year maturity and a 3.5% fixed-rate annual coupon CHF 190 million bond, with a 4-year maturity and a 1.4025% fixed-rate annual coupon CHF 245 million bond, with a 8-year maturity and a 1.8098% fixed-rate annual coupon The payment dates are March 20, 2025, for the Eurobond and the CHF bonds. The bonds will be listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange. The EUR transaction was led by BNP Paribas, J.P. Morgan, Mizuho, and Santander as active bookrunners, while the CHF transaction was led by UBS and BNP Paribas. Galderma is rated BBB (stable outlook) by Fitch and Fitch is expect

ClickHouse Acquires HyperDX to Accelerate the Future of Observability13.3.2025 17:00:00 EET | Press release

ClickHouse, the company behind the world's fastest analytical database, today announced the acquisition of HyperDX, an open-source observability platform built on ClickHouse. This strategic acquisition reinforces ClickHouse's commitment to delivering the fastest, most cost-effective, and scalable solutions to developers and enterprises worldwide; including observability. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250313954782/en/ ClickHouse, the company behind the world's fastest analytical database, today announced the acquisition of HyperDX, an open-source observability platform built on ClickHouse. (Graphic: Business Wire) The acquisition combines ClickHouse's unmatched performance and scalability with HyperDX's developer-first experience, creating a comprehensive observability platform that seamlessly integrates session replay, exceptions, logs, infrastructure metrics, and distributed tracing through an OpenTelemetry

Cessna Citation X and X+ Customers Benefit From Starlink High-Speed Internet Availability13.3.2025 17:00:00 EET | Press release

Textron Aviation today announced an additional high-speed internet connectivity solution for the Cessna Citation X and X+ following the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) issuance of AeroMech’s Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for Starlink high-speed internet connectivity. AeroMech’s STC utilizes Starlink’s constellation of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites to provide more reliable connectivity over land, water and remote areas, where traditional in-flight Wi-Fi may not have service. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250313683324/en/ Textron Aviation announced an additional high-speed internet connectivity solution for the Cessna Citation X and X+ following the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) issuance of AeroMech’s Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for Starlink high-speed internet connectivity. (Photo Credit: Textron Aviation) Beechcraft, Cessna and Hawker customers receive factory-direct suppor

Credit Derivatives Determinations Committees Membership Applications for 202513.3.2025 16:33:00 EET | Press release

DC Administration Services, Inc. (DCAS) would like to invite all interested Members of ISDA to apply for a position as a member of the Credit Derivatives Determinations Committees. There is a separate Determinations Committee for each of the relevant regions. Members of ISDA may apply for membership as either a Dealer Member of the Determinations Committees or a Non-Dealer Member of the Determinations Committees (as applicable). Parties wishing to apply for such a position should carefully review and submit either an executed Dealer Participation Letter (for a prospective Dealer Member) or an executed Non-dealer Committee Participation Letter (for a prospective Non-Dealer Member) by 5pm (New York time) on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. CCPs may also apply to participate as a CCP Member by submitting a Participating CCP Institution Letter. For more information on the process and to download the form of the relevant letter, please visit https://www.cdsdeterminationscommittees.org/about-dc-co

REPLY: The Board of Directors Approved the Draft Financial Statements for the Year 202413.3.2025 16:17:00 EET | Press release

Today the Board of Directors of Reply S.p.A. [MTA, STAR: REY] approved the draft financial statement for the year 2024, which will be submitted for approval to the Shareholders’ Meeting to be held in a single call in Turin on 23 April 2025. The Reply Group closed 2024 with a consolidated turnover of €2,295.9 million an increase of 8.4% compared to €2,118.0 million in 2023. All indicators are positive for the period. Consolidated EBITDA was €410.6 million, an increase of 16.6% compared to €352.1 million at December 2023. EBIT, from January to December, was at €330.4 million, which is an increase of 12.9% compared to €292.7 million at December 2023. The Group net profit was at €211.1 million. In 2023, the corresponding value was €186.7 million. Following the results achieved in 2024, the Reply Board of Directors decided to propose a dividend distribution of €1.15 per share to the next Shareholders’ Meeting, which will be payable on 21 May 2025, with the dividend date set on 19 May 2025 (

In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.

Visit our pressroom
World GlobeA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.HiddenA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.Eye