CellFiber Opens US Subsidiary in Philadelphia to Accelerate Scalable Manufacturing of iPSC, MSC, and CAR-T Cell Therapies

New office and laboratory at CIC Philadelphia will support US biopharma companies, CDMOs, and research institutions developing cell and gene therapies (CGT) and advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) in adopting CellFiber® 3D cell culture technology

PHILADELPHIA and TOKYO, Oct. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- CellFiber Co., Ltd., a Tokyo-based biotechnology company developing 3D cell culture and bioprocessing technology for regenerative medicine and cell therapy manufacturing, today announced the opening of CellFiber, Inc., its first international subsidiary, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The subsidiary opened on Oct. 1, 2026, with office and laboratory space at CIC Philadelphia.

Access to cell and gene therapies remains limited worldwide, largely because manufacturing these therapies is complex and expensive. Developers of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC), mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC), and CAR-T therapies need technologies that can produce high-quality cells consistently, efficiently, and at commercial scale while meeting Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) requirements.

CellFiber was founded on its proprietary CellFiber® technology with a mission of "connecting cells to patients." The company has focused on developing products that enable closed, large-scale manufacturing of cell-based therapies. In December 2025, CellFiber introduced the Zeito™ Plus System (formerly the CellFiber Extruder), a GMP-compatible system for producing cell fibers, as part of its preparation to enter the US market.

The Philadelphia site will serve as CellFiber's base for bringing its products and services to US customers. Through the new office and lab, the company plans to strengthen partnerships with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs), and academic research institutions, while providing technology adoption support, process development, scale-up, and collaborative research and development for stem cell and immune cell therapy programs.

"We are excited to establish our first international site in Philadelphia, a city often called 'Cellicon Valley' for its concentration of cell and gene therapy innovation," said Kazuchika Furuishi, President and CEO of CellFiber. "Philadelphia played a central role in developing the world's first CAR-T cell therapy, and it remains home to leading institutions and companies at the forefront of the field."

"Being here allows us to work directly with the teams developing cell therapies, bringing them CellFiber technology and partnering with them on research and process development," Furuishi added. "This site is the starting point for taking our technology global and helping more patients benefit from regenerative medicine."

About CellFiber® Technology

CellFiber® technology is an encapsulation method that forms tubular structures of alginate hydrogel, enclosing and protecting cells inside. Compared with conventional culture methods, cells grown using CellFiber technology are expected to show better maintained or enhanced cell function, long-term viability, and more uniform quality. The technology is applicable to a range of therapeutic cell types, including iPSCs, MSCs, and T cells and other immune cells. CellFiber is advancing the technology as a next-generation platform for efficiently manufacturing high-quality cells for regenerative medicine.

About CellFiber Co., Ltd.

Founded in April 2015 and headquartered in Tokyo, CellFiber Co., Ltd. is a biotechnology company built on its CellFiber® cell encapsulation technology. Guided by its mission of "connecting cells to patients," the company develops scalable cell manufacturing technologies that support the efficient development and production of cell and gene therapies and help improve patients' quality of life. CellFiber, Inc., its wholly owned US subsidiary, is located at CIC Philadelphia, 3675 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104. For more information, visit https://cellfiber.jp/.

SOURCE CellFiber Co., Ltd.