QHP Capital, today announced its acquisition of Applied StemCell, a leading cell and gene therapy CRO/CDMO focused on supporting the research community and biotechnology industry in developing and manufacturing cell and gene products.
With over 15 years of gene-editing and stem cell expertise, ASC offers comprehensive and customized cell and gene CRO/CDMO solutions. ASC’s unique platform of GMP-grade allogeneic induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) and its proprietary TARGATTTM gene editing technology provides its clients with several advantages, including shorter manufacturing timelines, non-viral gene editing, and genomic stability and safety.
“Applied StemCell is dedicated to supporting the biopharmaceutical and research sectors in the pursuit of delivering transformative regenerative medicine treatments and cell therapy products,” said Dr. Ruby Chen-Tsai, CEO of Applied StemCell. “We are delighted to have the partnership with QHP Capital. ASC’s technology and capabilities combined with QHP’s strategic network and deep industry knowledge will help us accelerate our vision to enable the future cell gene therapy market by creating iPSCs and cell products that present the highest efficacy, greatest safety, and the most accelerated and scalable manufacturing.”
The reprogramming of somatic cells into iPSCs offers tremendous potential for cell therapy, primary research, disease modeling, and drug development. Human iPSCs can be generated in culture, expanded, and then used to manufacture clinical-grade cells of almost any cell type. Future applications of iPSCs are expected to evolve beyond their use as life science tools, ranging from personalized drugs to regenerative cell therapies.
“Accelerating pre-clinical research and enabling manufacturing economies of scale are some of the biggest challenges facing the future of the regenerative medicine market,” said Matt Jenkins and Jeff Edwards, Partners at QHP Capital. “Applied StemCell fits with QHP’s investment focus of providing strategic capital and support to firms with established offerings that are positioned to scale to meet the needs of the industry. We look forward to working with ASC as they expand their commercial organization and broaden their market presence.”
Robert W. Baird & Co. served as the financial advisor to ASC.