BOSTON – December 18, 2012 – ReproCell, Inc., a Japanese stem cell technology company, and the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) today announced the opening of the company’s first branch and U.S. office in Boston. ReproCELL is the fourth company that has announced plans for a Massachusetts office after meeting with the MLSC and other state partners at the recent BIO International Convention in Boston this past June. ReproCELL is also the third Japanese life sciences company to announce plans for expansion into Massachusetts in the past six months, following Scivax and HMT.
The new office currently employs three people, with plans to hire an additional nine employees by 2016. ReproCELL is based in Yokohama, Japan.
“The U.S. market is the most important for ReproCELL to enter in order to foster our growth -- we estimate that the U.S. market is 20 to 50 times larger than that of Japan,” said Takashi Masai, COO, ReproCELL USA. “Massachusetts is the perfect place to start our business in the U.S. because of its high concentration of top-level customers for both of our business lines. In addition, the Commonwealth provides access to the network of biotech professionals and support from government partners, such as the MLSC.”
Founded in 2003, ReproCELL is the only Japanese human embryonic stem (ES) and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell-related company. ReproCELL offers the following product lines: human iPS/ES cell culture media and the world’s first commercialized human iPS cell derived cardiomyocyte, dopaminergic neuron, cholinergic neuron, Alzheimer’s disease model neuron and hepatocyte. In October, the company was included on the “Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Japan” list.
“Thanks to our growth strategy of investing in education, innovation and infrastructure, including our 10-year, $1-billion Life Sciences Initiative, Massachusetts continues to lead the world in life sciences,” said Governor Deval Patrick. “I congratulate ReproCELL, and appreciate the company’s commitment to growing in Massachusetts.”
“I am so proud to welcome the innovative, Japanese stem cell company ReproCELL to Massachusetts,” said Massachusetts House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo, who met with representatives of ReproCELL at the BIO International Convention in June. “As Massachusetts moves forward and begins to emerge from this economic downturn, we are focusing our efforts on bringing new jobs and making our Commonwealth more competitive through passing ground-breaking economic development legislation and leading the nation in health care cost containment. ReproCELL’s expansion into Massachusetts paves the way for other innovative companies and start-ups to find a home in Massachusetts.”
“ReproCELL is a welcome addition to the life science cluster in Massachusetts,” said Japanese Consul General Akira Muto. “ReproCELL’s technology shows the strength of Japanese innovation by enabling groundbreaking biological research to take place, such as Dr. Shinya Yamanaka’s Nobel Prize winning work with iPS cells, and will provide positive economic benefits to both Massachusetts and Japan.”
“On behalf of the Center, I would like to extend our warmest welcome to the team at ReproCELL as they open their first U.S. office here in Massachusetts,” said Susan Windham-Bannister, Ph.D., President & CEO of the MLSC, the agency charged with implementing Governor Patrick’s 10-year, $1 billion Life Sciences Initiative. “Massachusetts is home to groundbreaking work in stem cell research and development, and we are proud that one of Japan’s leading stem cell companies has chosen the Commonwealth as its U.S. base of operations. It also is very exciting that ReproCELL is the third Japanese life sciences organization to announce plans for a Massachusetts location in the past six months.” “ReproCELL’s decision to grow in Massachusetts highlights the strength of the cluster here in the Commonwealth and speaks to our leadership position in the most cutting-edge stem cell research,” said Robert K. Coughlin, President & CEO of MassBio, a 600+ member life sciences trade association. “We’re thrilled to have a growing company like ReproCELL build a presence here in the Commonwealth and look forward to working with them.”
The new U.S. office is based at:
ReproCELL USA, Inc.
24 Denby Rd.
Suite 220
Boston, MA 02134
USA
About ReproCELL, Inc.
ReproCELL, Inc. was established in 2003 with the goal of contributing to people’s health and welfare through the development of stem cell technologies. Many of ReproCELL’s technologies were developed by stem cell pioneers, Prof. Norio Nakatsuji from the Institute for Frontier Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, and Prof. Hiromitsu Nakauchi from The Institute of Medical Sciences, the University of Tokyo.
ReproCELL develops diverse products, with an underlying theme that focuses on stem cell technology, to address the needs of researchers and clinicians. This product range encompasses ES/iPS cells and somatic stem cells.
ReproCELL’s technologies, research reagents and services have applications in clinical diagnostics, drug screening and toxicity testing. For more information, visit www.reprocell.com/en.
About the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center
The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) is a quasi-public agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts tasked with implementing the Massachusetts Life Sciences Act, a 10-year, $1-billion initiative that was signed into law in June of 2008. The MLSC’s mission is to create jobs in the life sciences and support vital scientific research that will improve the human condition. This work includes making financial investments in public and private institutions that are advancing life sciences research, development and commercialization as well as building ties among sectors of the Massachusetts life sciences community. For more information, visit www.masslifesciences.com.
For further information, please contact:
ReproCELL USA, Inc.:
Takashi Masai
COO for ReproCELL USA, Inc.
takashi.masai@reprocell.com
+1 617 987 2015
Massachusetts Life Sciences Center: Angus McQuilken Vice President for Communications and Marketing +1 617 921 7749 amcquilken@masslifesciences.com
