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SCM Life Science (CEO Lee Byung-gun), a development company specializing in cell therapy, announced on the 30th that it has invested $1 million (KRW 1.13 billion) in Vita Theraputics, a bio-venture in the United States. Through this investment, SCM Life Science plans to further enhance its capabilities in research and development of pipelines in the existing stem cell field. 

Vita TheraFutics' investment in Series A, which took place this month, is worth 32 million dollars (about 36 billion won). It was led by Cambridge Biopharma of the U.S., and In addition to SCM Life Science, Kiwoom Bio of Korea and Early Light Ventures of the U.S. have been listed as major investors.

Vita TheraFutics is a bio-venture founded by Dr. Douglas Falk and Dr. Peter Anderson from Johns Hopkins University in the United States. They are studying the technology of transforming into muscle fibers through satellite cells (Satellite cells) that help regenerate muscles using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and muscle cells "Myoblast.". Through this, they intend to develop treatments for rare hereditary muscle diseases that are currently difficult to treat.

SCM Life Science is aiming to expand its pipeline area through this investment. This is because it is possible to expand the research area from the existing adult stem cell-based treatment pipeline to the induced pluripotent stem cell field of Vita Theraputics.

Currently, Cell Therapy Products is divided into three types: adult stem cells, embryonic stem cells, and induced pluripotent stem cells. SCM Life Science' current stem cell therapy pipeline is being studied based on adult stem cells.

On the other hand, Vita Theraputics is a company that develops induced pluripotent stem cell therapy. Induced pluripotent stem cells are stem cells in the form of returning adult somatic cells to the pluripotent differentiated cell stage in the early stages of cell formation. Like embryonic stem cells, they can be differentiated into all cells. However, unlike embryonic stem cells, fertilized eggs do not need to be used in the culture process, so they are relatively free from ethical problems.

Above all, it is said that this investment is part of SCM Life Science' steady open innovation. Since its establishment in 2014, the company has been actively working on its own research and development and partnerships with external partners to become a comprehensive cell therapy company. It is patented in countries around the world for layer separation culture that can mass-produce high-quality stem cells, and clinical trials are being conducted on various indications such as atopic dermatitis, chronic transplant host disease, and acute pancreatitis as stem cell-based treatments. It has also entered into the field of tissue engineering by signing a joint research agreement with Utah University in the United States for cell sheet research, and has secured pipelines in the field of immuno-cancer drugs through the acquisition of COIMUNE Inc. and Formula Pharmaceuticals Inc. in the United States.