EMD Millipore, CCRM In Stem Cell Pact

EMD Millipore, the Life Science division of Merck KGaA, and the Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine (CCRM) have entered a collaboration to develop optimized conditions for bioreactor-based cultivation of stem cells.

The project will focus on the development of a monitoring and control methodology, enabling robust growth of adherent human pluripotent stem cells in EMD Millipore’s Mobius CellReady stirred tank bioreactor. The goal of the project is to deliver a commercially available kit containing reagents and associated methodologies for bioreactor culture of stem cells on microcarriers. CCRM will employ EMD Millipore’s Mobius CellReady stirred tank bioreactor in its product development facility at the University of Toronto’s Banting Institute.

“As the demand for stem cells used in drug discovery and clinical applications grows, effectively translating the promise of stem cells into therapeutic reality will require large-scale, industrialized production under tightly controlled conditions,” said Robert Shaw, commercial director of EMD Millipore’s Stem Cell Initiative. “At this time, production is typically achieved using stacks of 2D tissue culture vessels, which is an expensive and labor intensive process. This joint project will address those challenges and facilitate optimized, large-scale cultivation of stem cells which can accelerate the progress of therapies into the clinic.”

“When CCRM was created, we had industry partnerships like this in mind,” said Michael May, chief executive officer of CCRM. “We are delighted to have EMD Millipore as our first project partner. Their production expertise and technologies will help CCRM to develop products that will benefit industry, academia, and the patient community. We appreciate that EMD Millipore has commissioned us to undertake this project and recognizes our strength in bioprocessing engineering.”