News Release

Collaboration focuses on automated, scalable MSC expansion to support clinical and commercial readiness

Lakewood, Colo. and Taipei, Taiwan, May 13, 2026 —Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies (Terumo BCT), a medical technology company and global leader in blood management solutions, and Steminent Biotherapeutics have entered into a strategic collaboration to accelerate late-stage manufacturing readiness for mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapies, addressing one of the key barriers to clinical scale-up and commercialization in regenerative medicine. The collaboration centers on optimizing automated cell expansion for clinical development and future commercial production of Steminent’s late-stage MSC-based therapy.

Few MSC therapies have been approved anywhere in the world, and global adoption has remained limited.¹  One of the major challenges to broad commercialization has been effective transitioning from manual to automated manufacturing. This collaboration is intended to improve consistency, scalability and efficiency of MSC manufacturing using Terumo BCT’s Quantum Flex™ Automated Cell Expansion System, reducing reliance on manual processes. Terumo BCT will lead development of a scalable production workflow that is designed to support batch-to-batch consistency and process robustness that is aligned with Steminent’s goals. This workflow will be transferred to Steminent for continued advancement.

“Collaborating with Terumo BCT allows us to strengthen our manufacturing foundation with processes designed for late-stage development and beyond,” said Ling-Mei Wang, Chairperson of Steminent. “This work supports our MSC clinical program’s next step, scaling for late-stage trials and eventual commercialization across multiple regions.”

“As APAC C&GT developers build towards commercialization, Terumo BCT is committed to supporting their manufacturing strategy through our well-tested platforms and global expertise,” noted Wenyan Leong, Ph.D., Director of APAC Commercial and Global Strategic Partnerships. “In practice, that means working alongside developers to design processes that hold up at scale — not just in early development but through late-stage and beyond.”

Upon successful completion of development milestones, Steminent plans to expand usage of Quantum Flex, leveraging the system to support broader clinical translation and commercialization plans.

This collaboration aligns with Terumo BCT’s APAC Ecosystem Blueprint — a practical, collaborative framework designed to support cell and gene therapy developers in the Asia-Pacific region as they transition from early development to scalable, repeatable manufacturing and delivery. 

^1. Fernández-Garza LE, Barrera-Barrera SA, Barrera-Saldaña HA. Mesenchymal stem cell therapies approved by regulatory agencies around the world. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2023;16(9):1334. doi:10.3390/ph16091334

Quantum Flex^™ is either a registered trademark or trademark of Terumo BCT, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. See TerumoBCT.com/trademarks for details.

Products and services are available in selected areas subject to regulatory approval in each country.

###

About Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies

Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies is a medical technology company. Our products, software and services enable customers to collect and prepare blood and cells to help treat challenging diseases and conditions. Our employees worldwide believe in the potential of blood and cells to do even more for patients than they do today. This belief inspires our innovation and strengthens our collaboration with customers.

Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies' customers include blood centers, hospitals, therapeutic apheresis clinics, cell collection and processing organizations, researchers, and private medical practices. Our customers are based in over 160 countries across the globe. We have 750+ granted patents, with more than 150 additionally pending.

We have global headquarters in Lakewood, Colorado, U.S.A., along with four regional headquarters, eight manufacturing sites and seven innovation and development centers across the globe. Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies is a subsidiary of Terumo Corporation (TSE: 4543), a global leader in medical technology.

About Steminent Biotherapeutics Inc.

Steminent Biotherapeutics Inc. (TWSE: 7729) is a Taipei-based stem cell biopharmaceutical company focused on the research and development of regenerative medicine products leveraging its proprietary stem cell platform. The company is dedicated to advancing innovative cell therapies for degenerative, rare, and life-threatening diseases, aiming to address significant unmet medical needs.

Steminent’s lead product, Stemchymal®, is a mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-based cell therapy product with spinocerebellar ataxia as its primary indication. The company continues to advance its clinical and regulatory programs across Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and the United States, and is actively preparing for Conditional Approval applications in Taiwan and Japan as it progresses steadily toward commercialization.

To support future commercial demand, Steminent is strengthening its manufacturing scale-up, batch-to-batch consistency, quality systems, and supply chain partnerships. Through international collaborations and the adoption of advanced technology platforms, the company is building a globally competitive cell therapy ecosystem.

URL: https://steminent.com/