NextCell Pharma AB has entered into a strategic collaboration with Fujifilm Irvine Scientific Inc., bringing together their complementary expertise to advance mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) research and development. The partnership, announced on May 20, 2025, aims to provide cell therapy researchers and developers with a comprehensive solution combining standardized MSC products with optimized culture media and cryopreservation technologies.
The collaboration builds on NextCell's recent expansion into the commercial market. In 2024, the company developed a research-use-only umbilical cord MSC product manufactured using its proprietary in-house expertise. This cell product will now be integrated with Fujifilm's established MSC media and cryopreservation product lines to create a complete offering for the cell therapy field.
"We have worked closely together to develop this business relationship and are proud to be able to announce this new opportunity to our shareholders," said Dr. Lindsay Davies, CSO at NextCell.
Comprehensive MSC Development Platform
The joint offering is designed to address key challenges in MSC research and therapy development by providing:
- Standardized, high-quality MSC reference material derived from umbilical cord tissue
- Optimized media and cryopreservation solutions specifically formulated for MSC culture and cold storage
- A reliable reference system for the development and validation of new cell therapies
Fujifilm Irvine Scientific brings over 50 years of industry experience to the partnership as a global leader in developing high-quality cell culture solutions for life science and medical markets. The company is recognized for its innovation and commitment to advancing cell and gene therapy technologies.
Strategic Business Expansion
For NextCell, this collaboration represents a significant business expansion beyond its clinical-stage cell therapy program ProTrans, which has shown promising results in type 1 diabetes clinical trials.
"This is a new business venture for NextCell, and we are excited to collaborate with Fujifilm, combining our expertise to build a strong partnership for the future," said Mathias Svahn, CEO at NextCell.
Meeting Industry Needs
The partnership addresses growing demand in the cell therapy sector for standardized starting materials and optimized processes. Researchers and developers will benefit from:
- Access to consistent, well-characterized MSC products that can serve as reference materials
- Purpose-designed media formulations that enhance MSC growth and functionality
- Specialized cryopreservation solutions that maintain cell viability and potency
This integrated approach is expected to accelerate research and development timelines while improving reproducibility in MSC-based therapeutic applications.
Company Backgrounds
NextCell Pharma is a clinical-stage cell therapy company developing ProTrans, a patent-protected platform based on allogeneic MSCs from umbilical cord tissue. Using a proprietary selection algorithm, ProTrans delivers optimized cells tailored to specific indications. The company's subsidiaries include Cellaviva, Scandinavia's largest private stem cell bank, and QVance, the Nordic region's first dedicated provider of quality services for developers of advanced therapies.
Fujifilm Irvine Scientific is a global developer of high-quality cell culture solutions with a strong commitment to advancing cell and gene therapy technologies. The company's extensive experience in media development and cell culture optimization complements NextCell's expertise in MSC isolation and characterization.
The financial terms of the collaboration were not disclosed in the announcement.
