[Edaily Reporter NA EUN-KYUNG ] MEDIPOST CO., LTD.(078160)is expanding its contract development and manufacturing (CDMO) business by introducing a service to establish a stem cell bank using domestically produced chemically defined media.

MEDIPOST CO., LTD. announced on the 28th that it will launch its “Animal-Free (AOF) Stem Cell Bank Establishment Service” this coming November. This service commercializes technology secured through a national project under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy’s “Leading Companies in Materials, Parts, and Equipment” initiative.

A cell bank is a system for storing and managing cells required for the development and production of cell and gene therapies to ensure consistent quality. It is divided into a Master Cell Bank (MCB), which stores the initially secured cells, and a Working Cell Bank (WCB), which is used to secure cells for actual production based on the MCB. Maintaining the safety and homogeneity of the cells is crucial.

This service utilizes “CellCor,” a chemically defined medium developed by #Xcell Therapeutics Inc., a domestic medium specialist. A medium is a substance that supplies the nutrients necessary for cell culture. CellCor is a medium that excludes animal- and human-derived components and clearly specifies its constituents; its purpose is to reduce the risk of contamination associated with the use of animal-derived components and to enhance uniformity in the production process.

According to MEDIPOST CO., LTD., this medium was previously used as the material for transitioning to domestically produced media in the Japanese commercialization project for the stem cell therapy “CartiStem,” where its safety and production efficiency were verified.

The two companies have been conducting joint validation of chemically defined media since 2020. In 2023, MEDIPOST CO., LTD. was selected for a national project under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy’s “Top Companies in Materials, Parts, and Equipment” initiative, with a total project budget of 13 billion won. The project will run from September 2023 through December of this year.

The new service can be applied to stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood, umbilical cord, and adipose tissue. The capacity of the cell bank’s vials (storage containers) and the number of cells can also be adjusted according to the characteristics of the therapeutics being developed by the client and the production objectives. Through this, MEDIPOST CO., LTD. plans to expand the scope of its CDMO services for cell and gene therapy development companies.

A Xcell Therapeutics Inc. official stated, “The use of chemically defined media is an essential trend in global CGT development,” adding, “Through our collaboration with MEDIPOST CO., LTD., we aim to become a total solutions provider covering the entire CGT development lifecycle, based on high safety and homogeneity.”

A MEDIPOST CO., LTD. representative said, “Our domestically produced chemically defined medium service, which excludes animal-derived components, will greatly help our clients ensure safety and homogeneity,” adding, “By combining our GMP expertise with Xcell Therapeutics Inc.’s medium technology, we aim to become a trusted partner for CGT companies both domestically and internationally.”