ChabioTech Collaborates with FromBio on Hair Loss Drug Development and Production

CHA Biotech announced on the 26th that it has signed a contract for contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) services for hair loss cell therapy with FromBio.

Jang Won-gyu, CEO of Cha Bio Lab, Oh Sang-hoon, CEO of Cha Biotech, Shim Tae-jin, CEO of FromBio, and Hong In-gi, Director of FromBio Research Institute, are posing for a commemorative photo at the contract signing ceremony for the contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) agreement for hair loss treatment between the two companies.
[Photo by Cha Biotech]

Under this contract, CHA Biotech will establish a Master Cell Bank and a Working Cell Bank of adipose-derived stem cells for the development of hair loss cell therapy at the pharmaceutical manufacturing facility of its subsidiary, CHA Biolabs, and provide them to FromBio.

The Master Cell Bank is a uniform cell suspension obtained by culturing donor human tissue cells under optimal conditions in a single batch and dividing it into multiple containers in equal amounts, while the Working Cell Bank is a cell bank further cultured from the Master Cell Bank up to a certain passage number. By establishing such cell banks, it is possible to secure a cell-based platform capable of producing sufficient therapeutic agents up to the commercialization stage without changing cells in the middle, thereby ensuring product safety and guaranteeing consistency. Through this contract, FromBio will accelerate the development of hair loss cell therapy, and CHA Biotech will be able to establish the Master Cell Bank and Working Cell Bank and expect clinical-grade pharmaceutical production through them.

FromBio is developing a hair loss treatment using dermal papilla cells differentiated from adipose-derived stem cells. Dermal papilla cells are located at the very bottom of the hair follicle and act as the "seed of hair," responsible for hair growth. They supply oxygen and nutrients to the cells that make up the hair follicle and regulate hair growth and the hair follicle cycle. When the proliferation of dermal papilla cells becomes active, hair becomes healthy, hair growth is promoted, and hair loss can be prevented.

Shim Tae-jin, CEO of FromBio, said, “We are developing a safe and effective hair loss cell therapy using patented technology that can differentiate dermal papilla cells from adipose-derived stem cells,” adding, “We plan to conduct clinical trials targeting the global market by utilizing the provided Master Cell Bank and Working Cell Bank.”

Oh Sang-hoon, CEO of CHA Biotech, said, “We expect that this contract will serve as an opportunity to expand strategic cooperation with FromBio throughout the entire process from cell therapy clinical trials to product manufacturing,” and added, “By leveraging the capabilities of CHA Biotech Group, including Matica Biotechnology’s cell and gene therapy CDMO facilities, we will also be able to support U.S. clinical trials and global expansion.”