TOKYO and KYOTO, JAPAN – March 5, 2026 – Terumo Corporation and the CiRA Foundation, a public interest organization for the transfer of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell technology to industry, have been selected for funding by Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED)*¹, the national medical R&D funding agency.

With AMED’s funding, the two organizations will work together to accelerate the automation and standardization of iPS cell manufacturing, an important step toward scaling regenerative medicine.
The collaboration aims to establish a robust protocol designed for consistent and efficient iPS cell expansion using Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies’ Quantum Flex Cell Expansion System.

As part of the project, the new protocol developed by the two organizations will be tested at CiRA Foundation’s FiT*², a dedicated facility for manufacturing and quality testing of clinical-grade iPS cells. At this stage, clinical-grade iPS cells produced with the new automated, standardized workflow will be evaluated against cells expanded through conventional manual processes, comparing their quality, performance, and suitability for clinical applications.

In addition, CiRA Foundation and Terumo will co-develop a monitoring software prototype, connecting Quantum Flex to commercially available analytical instruments, enabling real-time monitoring of culture media conditions during iPS cell expansion. This is intended to strengthen in-process control, improve reproducibility, and help identify potential abnormalities during earlier stages of cell expansion. These improvements are expected to reduce operator-dependent variability and support more consistent manufacturing operations.

“Culturing iPS cells is a complex, highly specialized process that must be carefully controlled over weeks or even months, which drives up labor demands, costs, and variability — all factors that make large-scale production challenging,” said Masatsugu Igarashi, Senior Manager of Research and Development, Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies. “Through this joint research, we aim to develop automated cell expansion technologies that can be broadly applied across the regenerative medicine field, easing operational burdens, lowering costs, and improving process consistency. This next phase of our partnership with CiRA Foundation further demonstrates Terumo’s commitment to supporting the development of iPS cells and other cell-based therapies throughout the region.”

“iPS cells hold potential to transform regenerative medicine, offering a uniquely versatile platform for developing new treatments,” said Kenji Komeda, Head of FiT (Facility for iPS Cell Therapy), CiRA Foundation. “To realize that potential, it is essential that we strengthen the bridge between foundational iPS research and practical, scalable, and standardized manufacturing. This joint research brings together our iPS cell expertise with Terumo’s strengths in automation. We look forward to the impact this collaboration will bring to advancing the future of regenerative medicine.”


*1　Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development（AMED）is Japan’s national agency that funds and promotes medical research and development, supporting the translation of basic research into practical applications.
*2　FiT is CiRA Foundation’s facility responsible for manufacturing and quality testing of clinical-grade iPS cells for regenerative medicine applications.