Promega Corporation and FUJIFILM Cellular Dynamics Announce Strategic Collaboration to Advance Novel Assay Development

Promega Corporation (Promega), a leader in providing innovative solutions and?technical support?to the life sciences industry, and FUJIFILM Cellular Dynamics, Inc., a leading global developer and manufacturer of human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technologies, today announced a strategic collaboration to advance novel assay development for drug discovery. Under a multi-year licensing agreement, FUJIFILM Cellular Dynamics will offer a wide range of custom differentiated iPSCs integrated with Promega biosensor and intracellular bioluminescent reporter capabilities for researchers and scientists to use as part of novel assay development in the drug discovery process.

The strategic collaboration will merge bioluminescent reporter technology used to study cellular signaling and transcriptional activity in iPSCs, enabling researchers to create novel assays to observe cellular biology in a system that better reflects how cells behave in the human body. Cells that are differentiated from iPSCs have grown in popularity as researchers pursue more physiological models that drive drug discovery assays towards greater human relevance. iPSCs can be differentiated into any type of human cell, including neural, cardiac, hepatic, immune and many other cells critical for the study of human disease.

The agreement grants FUJIFILM Cellular Dynamics access to Promega Firefly Luciferase, NanoLuc® Luciferase and NanoBiT™ Technology. NanoLuc Luciferase is a 19kDa monomeric enzyme that is 100x brighter than firefly luciferase, resulting in much greater sensitivity for reporter assays. NanoBiT Technology is a structural complementation system based on luciferase subunits that interact when in close proximity to produce a luminescent signal in real-time analyses of protein:protein interaction. FUJIFILM Cellular Dynamics also licensed HaloTag® Technology, a platform designed for functional characterization of proteins, under a previous agreement with Promega. The combination of these technologies enables scientists to develop new biosensor assays in iPSC-derived cells.

“The market continues to move towards assay formats that best recapitulate human disease, and iPSC-derived cells are a critical part of that movement,” states Keith R. Olson, Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations at FUJIFILM Cellular Dynamics, Inc. “Adding this robust assay technology from Promega to our cells creates a wealth of possibilities for discovery researchers around the world in their efforts to advance medicine.”

“This agreement opens the possibility of incorporating our best-in-class assays into any type of iPSC-derived cell,” says Brad Swanson, Strategic Collaborations Manager at Promega. “This combination enables the study of biological mechanisms and pathways in human cell models with a context and precision previously unavailable to researchers.”

About Fujifilm
FUJIFILM Cellular Dynamics, Inc. is a leading developer and manufacturer of human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) utilized in drug discovery and cell therapies. The pre-clinical stage company is using its expertise in iPSC technologies to develop a robust pipeline of cell therapeutics candidates. For its partners, FUJIFILM Cellular Dynamics, Inc. utilizes its iPSC platform to advance the progress of therapeutic candidates in the clinic and provides contract development and manufacturing (CDMO) services. In addition to cell therapy, FUJIFILM Cellular Dynamics, Inc. also offers life science research tools including the company’s inventoried iCell® products that are available in many cell types and sourced from multiple cell lines which can be applied for target identification as well as toxicity testing. The company also offers custom cell services and cell banking. The company’s goal is to leverage the vast utility of iPSCs to advance human health and improve the quality of life for patients around the world.

FUJIFILM Corporation is an operating company of FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation. FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation, Tokyo, Japan, brings cutting edge solutions to a broad range of global industries by leveraging its depth of knowledge and fundamental technologies developed in its relentless pursuit of innovation. Its proprietary core technologies contribute to the various fields including healthcare, highly functional materials, document solutions and imaging products. These products and services are based on its extensive portfolio of chemical, mechanical, optical, electronic and imaging technologies. For the year ended March 31, 2021, the company had global revenues of $21 billion, at an exchange rate of 106 yen to the dollar. Fujifilm is committed to responsible environmental stewardship and good corporate citizenship.

About Promega Corporation
Promega Corporation is a leader in providing innovative solutions and?technical support?to the life sciences industry. The company’s portfolio of over 4,000 products support a range of life science work across areas such as cell biology; DNA, RNA and protein analysis; drug development; human identification and molecular diagnostics. For over 40 years these tools and technologies have grown in their application and are used today by scientists and technicians in labs for academic and government research, forensics, pharmaceuticals, clinical diagnostics and agricultural and environmental testing. Promega is headquartered in Madison, WI, USA with branches in 16 countries and over 50 global distributors.