SeouLin Bioscience To Distribute Cellular Dynamics’ Products In Korea

MADISON, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cellular Dynamics International, Inc. (CDI), a FUJIFILM company, today announced an exclusive agreement with SeouLin Bioscience Co., Ltd., for the distribution of CDI’s products in the Republic of Korea.

Under the terms of the agreement, SeouLin Bioscience will distribute CDI’s iCell^® catalog of products. CDI’s iCell products are human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived tissue cells, including cardiomyocytes, hepatocytes, and neurons, among others totaling up to 12 cell types, as well as special media if required. Under discussion is the expansion to distribute the MyCell^® catalog of products. CDI’s MyCell Products enable researchers to better understand the phenotypic underpinnings of a disease of interest, as they submit donor samples to CDI for the manufacture of iPSCs and tissue cells from them. In addition, MyCell Products are already available for diseases such as cardiac arrhythmias, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, drug-induced liver injury, and muscular dystrophies.

As part of the agreement, SeouLin Bioscience will handle first-level technical support inquiries from its customers. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Kaz Hirao, CEO of Cellular Dynamics, said, “Our aim is to make iPSC technology widely available to researchers worldwide and thus advance biological research leading to cellular therapies and drug discovery. Korea is an attractive market to us, because it offers a regulatory environment that seeks to accelerate the development and commercialization of regenerative medicine products. We believe that SeouLin BioScience is the optimal partner for CDI, because its multi-channel distribution infrastructure provides an already developed customer base with faster access to CDI’s products and support.”

About Fujifilm

Cellular Dynamics International (CDI), a FUJIFILM company, is a leading developer and manufacturer of human cells used in drug discovery, toxicity testing, stem cell banking, and cell therapy development. The Company partners with innovators from around the world to combine biologically relevant human cells with the newest technologies to drive advancements in medicine and healthier living. CDI’s technology offers the potential to create induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from anyone, starting with a standard blood draw, and followed by the powerful capability to develop into virtually any cell type in the human body. Our proprietary manufacturing system produces billions of cells daily, resulting in inventoried iCell® products and donor-specific MyCell® Products in the quantity, quality, purity, and reproducibility required for drug and cell therapy development. Founded in 2004 by Dr. James Thomson, a pioneer in human pluripotent stem cell research, Cellular Dynamics is based in Madison, Wisconsin, with a second facility in Novato, California. For more information, please visit www.cellulardynamics.com, and follow us on Twitter @CellDynamics.

FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation, Tokyo, Japan brings continuous innovation and leading-edge products to a broad spectrum of industries, including: healthcare, with medical systems, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics; graphic systems; highly functional materials, such as flat panel display materials; optical devices, such as broadcast and cinema lenses; digital imaging; and document products. These are based on a vast portfolio of chemical, mechanical, optical, electronic, software and production technologies. In the year ended March 31, 2015, the company had global revenues of $20.8 billion, at an exchange rate of 120 yen to the dollar. Fujifilm is committed to environmental stewardship and good corporate citizenship. For more information, please visit: www.fujifilmholdings.com.

About SeouLin Bioscience Co., Ltd.

SeouLin Bioscience Co., Ltd., provides a broad range of instrumentation and reagents in life sciences research. Products include VisuFect 100 Gene Delivery Reagent, LentiSure, and the Mylab line of laboratory equipment. See www.seoulin.co.kr/.

All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their registered owners.