Japan-based Fujifilm Corporation has announced its investment in PhenoVista Biosciences, a contract research organisation (CRO) in the US. Fujifilm and PhenoVista will accelerate the development of new high-content screening (HCS) assay services using Fujifilm iCell differentiated induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and PhenoVista’s cutting-edge imaging technologies. This investment is from the Life Sciences Corporate Venture Capital (LS-CVC) strategic investment fund.

This investment builds upon the existing strategic alliance between Fujifilm Corporation subsidiary, Fujifilm Cellular Dynamics, Inc., a leading global developer and manufacturer of human iPSCs, and PhenoVista.

Fujifilm Cellular Dynamics aims to further expand its drug-discovery business through this alliance initiated in November 2021 by collaboratively developing high-content, imaging-based assays using human iPSC-derived differentiated cells, which are highly relevant biological systems.

These HCS assay services using iPSCs are capable of monitoring complex intracellular functions, such as cell health, mitochondrial health, and synapse formation in individual human cells that are involved in disease progression, supporting pharmaceutical companies in their drug-discovery processes.

The new investment will fund the creation of new, off-the-shelf Ready-2-Go Assay Services at PhenoVista using a broad range of Fujifilm Cellular Dynamics’ iCell offerings.