MediPost is expanding its contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) business by launching a stem cell banking service that uses chemically defined culture media developed in South Korea.
MediPost announced on the 28th that it will launch an animal-origin-free (AOF) stem cell banking service in November. Cell banks store and manage the cellular materials needed to develop cell and gene therapies (CGTs) and play an important role in ensuring treatment safety and consistent product quality.
The service will use CellCor, a chemically defined culture medium developed by ExcelThera, a company specializing in cell culture media. Chemically defined media have precisely specified ingredients and exclude animal- and human-derived components to reduce contamination risks and improve consistency during manufacturing.
The two companies have jointly evaluated chemically defined culture media since 2020. In 2023, MediPost was selected for a government-funded project under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy’s Materials, Parts and Equipment Excellence Enterprise program. Through the project, the company has been developing technology to manufacture clinical trial materials for stem cell therapies using culture media that replace animal-derived components. The new service applies technology accumulated through that project to its CDMO business.
The service will cover stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood, umbilical cords and adipose tissue. At clients’ request, MediPost can adjust filling specifications, including vial volume and cell count, for master cell banks (MCBs) and working cell banks (WCBs). This flexibility allows cell banks to be established according to each client’s development stage and manufacturing plans.
MediPost plans to expand the service to CGT companies in South Korea and overseas by combining its experience operating facilities under Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards with ExcelThera’s culture media technology.
Meanwhile, MediPost has recently accelerated the expansion of its cell therapy CDMO business, building on its experience commercializing Cartistem, the world’s first allogeneic umbilical cord blood-derived stem cell therapy.
