Takara Bio Europe AB and Boston IVF Fertility Center announce partnership to enable the derivation of clinical-grade hES cell lines for cell therapy applications

Takara Bio Europe AB (TBEAB) is proud to officially announce a partnership with the Boston IVF Fertility Center (Boston IVF) headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts, USA. This partnership gives TBEAB access to discarded starting material for the derivation of clinical-grade hES cell lines for cell therapy research. “When we set off to establish our first clinical-grade hES cell line, we needed to find a partner that would accept the stringent donor and sourcing criteria”, said Kristina Runeberg, Site Head/Senior Director Corporate Development at TBEAB. “We were fortunate to find Boston IVF which has both the know-how and capabilities to fulfill the high regulatory demands required for this project. Through our initial collaboration, we were able to generate our first clinical-grade hES cell line which has recently been made available to cell therapy researchers through a new out-licensing program”.

This partnership also gives Boston IVF and the donor couples the opportunity to make compassionate use of surplus material that would otherwise be discarded. “While our main focus is on reproductive medicine and our world-renowned infertility treatment services, we also want to facilitate research that can help patients who are suffering from chronic or untreatable conditions,” said Denny Sakkas, CSO at Boston IVF. “We are excited to continue to work with TBEAB and help them to support innovative cell therapy researchers across the world.”

Learn more about TBEAB’s clinical-grade hES cell line derivation capabilities here. These services are also available in North America through Takara Bio USA, Inc.

About Takara Bio Group

Takara Bio Europe AB

Takara Bio Europe AB is a wholly owned subsidiary of Takara Bio Inc. that is focused on stem cell-derived products and services for cell therapy, drug discovery, and disease modeling applications, under the Cellartis brand. The company possesses broad expertise in human pluripotent stem cells, including both hiPS and hES cells, and related media. Furthermore, TBE AB’s GMP facility, located in Göteborg, Sweden, operates under a manufacturing license for the establishment and banking of clinical-grade hES cell lines.

For more information, please click here.

Takara Bio USA, Inc.

Takara Bio USA, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Takara Bio Inc. that manufactures and distributes kits, reagents, and instruments for the life sciences, including NGS, PCR, gene delivery, genome editing, stem cell research, nucleic acid and protein purification, and automated sample preparation.

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Takara Bio Inc.

Takara Bio Inc., a world leader in biotechnology research and development, offers a host of life science research solutions, from enzymes and GMP-grade reagents to contracted cell and gene therapy manufacturing services and is the developer of the RetroNectin reagent, a world standard in gene therapy protocols. Takara Bio is committed to preventing disease and improving the quality of life for all people through the use of biotechnology.

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Boston IVF Fertility Center

Boston IVF is one of the largest and most experienced fertility networks in the United States, with more than 100,000 babies born since 1986. Founded as one of the nation’s first private practice IVF centers, the Boston IVF network has grown to now include over 30 reproductive endocrinologists across 30 centers throughout Massachusetts, New England, and the United States. A renowned innovator of reproductive technologies, advanced protocols, and cutting-edge research, Boston IVF has achieved numerous “firsts” in the field of reproductive care. Its scientific and research arm continues to pave the way for breakthroughs in fertility care and accredited REI Fellowship Program, has graduated more than 30 reproductive endocrinologists as part of its mission to train the next generation of fertility experts.

For more information, please click here.