Plasticell

About Plasticell

Plasticell Limited is a biotechnology firm founded in 2002 by Dr. Yen Choo, specializing in the development of novel therapies by manipulating stem cells. The company's core technology is CombiCult®, a proprietary, award-winning combinatorial screening platform. This high-throughput technology allows for the rapid optimization of protocols for cell expansion, differentiation, and manufacturing, which is applied to cell and gene therapies as well as drug discovery.

Dr. Choo, who serves as Chairman, has a background in molecular biology from the University of Cambridge, where he worked under Nobel laureate Sir Aaron Klug. Before Plasticell, he co-founded Gendaq, a company focused on zinc finger technology for gene editing that was later acquired by Sangamo Biosciences. This background in combinatorial methods and gene editing informed the creation of Plasticell's technology. The company's business model involves a combination of in-house therapeutic development, strategic collaborations with academic and industry partners, and the out-licensing of its CombiCult® platform. Revenue is generated through these partnerships and more than 15 non-dilutive government grants.

Plasticell's therapeutic pipeline is focused on high-value areas, including the expansion of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) from cord blood for transplants, and the manufacturing of red blood cells, platelets, and allogeneic immunotherapies from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) for treating cancer and rare diseases. The company has engaged in collaborations with entities such as GSK, Anthony Nolan, and the UK's Ministry of Defence to advance its programs, which range from developing regenerative medicines for battlefield injuries to creating blood substitutes for clinical transfusion.