Lonza Walkersville, Inc. (US) has entered a worldwide, in kind research collaboration agreement with Roslin Cells for the development of customized cell culture media and processes for the production of pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) to advance the field of cell therapy.

Brokered by bioscience commercialization specialists at Evolution ls Ltd, the agreement will merge the intellectual resources of one of the UK’s leading companies in the development of clinical grade PSCs for therapeutic applications, with one of the world’s largest life-science companies actively involved in research and clinical development.

This collaborative research arrangement combines Roslin Cells’ expertise in developing cGMP grade pluripotent stem cells with Lonza’s expertise in primary cell media formulation. It will allow the companies to share technologies, know how, and other intellectual property in order to accelerate the development of industry leading PSC culture media and systems for use in both research and clinical applications.

The main purpose of this collaboration is to provide those involved in both regenerative medicine research and in the production of clinical cell-based products with high-quality, scalable, culture systems that meet the stringent regulations that govern cellular therapies.

Aidan Courtney, CEO Roslin Cells stated: ‘There is a terrific fit between Roslin Cells and Lonza. We are committed to producing cells, which can be used in therapy. To achieve this, we need cell culture systems which meet regulatory GMP standards and can be used not only in research but also in cell production facilities. Collaborating with Lonza will allow us to combine our expertise in the derivation and characterization of pluripotent cells with their vast experience with cell culture media development and cell production.’

Phil Vanek, head of innovation and business development, Lonza Bioscience commented: “Roslin Cells brings a unique perspective to the challenge of commercializing therapeutic cells and gives Lonza access to Roslin’s pluripotent cell lines that are extraordinarily well characterized for application in the clinic. Lonza’s competency in developing animal-free, fully characterized cGMP manufacturing grade culture media makes this research collaboration a natural fit for the further development of Lonza’s PSC research and clinical tools portfolio”

Roslin Cells Ltd was established in 2006 by the Roslin Institute with the support of the University of Edinburgh, the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service and Scottish Enterprise. The company’s core mission is to provide ethically sourced, pluripotent human cells manufactured to the highest quality available according to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP standards).

Lonza is one of the world's leading suppliers to the pharmaceutical, healthcare and life science industries. Its products and services span its customers’ needs from research to final product manufacture. Lonza is the global leader in the production and support of active pharmaceutical ingredients both chemically as well as biotechnologically.