ENCell Secures 802 Million ($550,000) Won CDMO Contract with CELLeBRAIN

• ENCell has signed an 802 million won ($550,000) CDMO contract with CELLeBRAIN to manufacture a Master Cell Bank for gene-modified stem cell therapies targeting neurological diseases.

• The contract extends through December 2025, supporting CELLeBRAIN’s efforts to advance its treatments for brain tumors and strokes toward clinical trials.

ENCell has secured an 802 million won ($550,000) contract to provide contract development and manufacturing (CDMO) services for CELLeBRAIN, a Korean biotech developing gene-modified stem cell therapies for neurological diseases. The agreement, which runs until December 2025, tasks ENCell with producing CELLeBRAIN’s Master Cell Bank (MCB)—a crucial step toward clinical trials. Additional details remain undisclosed due to confidentiality agreements.

The contract aligns with ENCell’s broader expansion strategy in the cell and gene therapy (CGT) sector. The company has been strengthening partnerships, including a December 2023 agreement with an undisclosed multinational pharmaceutical firm, alongside prior collaborations with Novartis and Janssen. ENCell claims to lead the Korean CGT CDMO market in both revenue and market share, distinguishing itself as the only domestic provider with integrated cell and viral vector manufacturing capabilities.

CELLeBRAIN is focused on developing gene-enhanced stem cell therapies for neurological conditions, with a goal of advancing its technology into late-stage clinical trials. The company successfully completed an investigator-initiated glioblastoma trial at CHA Medical Center in 2018 and is now working to expand its clinical development pipeline in Korea and internationally.