CellFiber Co., Ltd., a Tokyo-based biotechnology company developing 3D cell culture and bioprocessing technology for regenerative medicine and cell therapy manufacturing, announced on October 9, 2026 the opening of CellFiber, Inc., its first international subsidiary, in Philadelphia. The subsidiary opened on October 1 with office and laboratory space at CIC Philadelphia and will support U.S. biopharma companies, CDMOs, and research institutions developing induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC), mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC), and CAR-T therapies.
“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.”
Tackling the Cell Therapy Manufacturing Bottleneck
Access to cell and gene therapies remains limited worldwide, largely because manufacturing them is complex and expensive. Developers need technologies that can produce high-quality cells consistently, efficiently, and at commercial scale while meeting Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) requirements.
CellFiber’s proprietary CellFiber® technology encapsulates cells inside tubular structures of alginate hydrogel, enclosing and protecting them. Compared with conventional culture methods, cells grown this way are expected to better maintain or enhance their function, stay viable longer, and show more uniform quality. The technology applies to a range of therapeutic cell types, including iPSCs, MSCs, and T cells and other immune cells. In December 2025, ahead of its U.S. entry, the company introduced the Zeito™ Plus System, formerly the CellFiber Extruder, a GMP-compatible system for producing cell fibers.
A U.S. Base for Partnerships
The Philadelphia site will be CellFiber’s base for bringing its products and services to U.S. customers. The company plans to strengthen partnerships with pharmaceutical and biotech companies, CDMOs, and academic institutions, and to provide technology adoption support, process development, scale-up, and collaborative R&D for stem cell and immune cell therapy programs.
“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 said. “This site is the starting point for taking our technology global and helping more patients benefit from regenerative medicine.”
About CellFiber
Founded in April 2015 and headquartered in Tokyo, CellFiber develops scalable cell manufacturing technologies built on its CellFiber® cell encapsulation platform, guided by its mission of “connecting cells to patients.” Its wholly owned U.S. subsidiary, CellFiber, Inc., is located at CIC Philadelphia.
