Teijin Partners with Hilleman Laboratories for Cell and Gene Therapy CDMO Expansion

• Teijin Limited and Hilleman Laboratories signed a Memorandum of Understanding to expand CDMO services in cell and gene therapy.

• The partnership aims to support Japanese companies entering the Asia-Pacific region and attract international customers to the Japanese market.

Teijin Limited and Hilleman Laboratories have announced a strategic collaboration to drive growth in contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) services for cell and gene therapies. The partnership, marked by the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), will build on both companies’ strengths in advanced biopharmaceuticals and regenerative medicine.

The partnership is structured to support Japanese customers targeting the Asia-Pacific market while attracting international clients to Japan. Under the agreement, Teijin will leverage its expertise in regenerative medicine to assist Hilleman Laboratories in developing a cell processing centre in Singapore, which will enhance Hilleman’s current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) pilot facility. This 30,000-square-foot site, launched in November 2023, positions Hilleman Laboratories to support clinical-scale bioprocessing for phases I and II.

“Our cooperation will strengthen the cell and gene therapy CDMO business in the Asia-Pacific,” said Dr. Takayuki Nakano, General Manager at Teijin. “This expansion will enable us to offer targeted support services to our clients as market demand increases.”

Teijin’s commitment to the collaboration reflects its strategy to reach JPY 20 billion in regenerative medicine sales by 2030. Alongside Hilleman Laboratories, Teijin will focus on enhancing the delivery of scalable cell and gene therapy solutions across regional markets.

Hilleman Laboratories, a joint venture between Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC and the Wellcome Trust, is dedicated to advancing affordable biologics. According to CEO Dr. Raman Rao, “This partnership with Teijin marks a milestone in expanding our bioprocessing capabilities, enabling us to better meet global healthcare needs while establishing Singapore as a hub for advanced therapeutics.”