- Matica Biolabs has signed a CDMO agreement with ArthRegen to develop and manufacture Wharton’s jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSCs) for regenerative medicine research focused on articular cartilage repair.
- The agreement includes process development, manufacturing support and assistance with ArthRegen’s ongoing preclinical studies.
Matica Biolabs, a subsidiary of CHA Biotech, has signed a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) agreement with regenerative medicine company ArthRegen to support the development and manufacturing of Wharton’s jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSCs). The companies announced the agreement on Monday.
Under the agreement, Matica Biolabs will conduct process development for the isolation and manufacturing of WJ-MSCs being used in ArthRegen’s research into a regenerative treatment for articular cartilage repair. The company will also support ArthRegen’s ongoing preclinical studies. WJ-MSCs are derived from Wharton’s jelly, a connective tissue surrounding umbilical cord vessels that is considered a rich source of mesenchymal stem cells.
ArthRegen has been developing regenerative medicine and tissue-engineering technologies for joint tissue repair, building on its work in knee joint reconstruction and meniscus treatment. The company is currently conducting preclinical studies of a cartilage regeneration therapy designed to modulate the damaged intra-articular microenvironment and promote cartilage repair using WJ-MSCs. ArthRegen is also expanding its pipeline to include tissue regeneration platforms that combine AI-driven patient-specific design and 3D printing technologies.
Matica Biolabs provides process development, manufacturing and quality testing services for cell and gene therapies through GMP-compliant manufacturing infrastructure and quality management systems. The company said the collaboration will help expand its CDMO capabilities in stem cell-based regenerative medicine while supporting domestic biotechnology research and development.
“This agreement represents a meaningful example of how Matica Biolabs can leverage its expertise in cell therapy process development and manufacturing to support innovation in regenerative medicine.”
Min Byung-jo, CEO of Matica Biolabs
The company added that it is continuing to broaden its contract manufacturing and CDMO portfolio beyond conventional cell therapies into CAR-T, CAR-NK and extracellular vesicle (EV)-based therapies while expanding collaborations with Korean and international biotechnology companies.
