PHC Holdings signs exclusive deal to distribute MaxCyte ExPERT platform in Japan to advance non-viral cell engineering in CGT development

PHC Corporation’s Biomedical Division, a core subsidiary of PHC Holdings Corporation (TSE:6523), has announced an exclusive distribution agreement with U.S.-based cell engineering firm MaxCyte, Inc., to deliver the ExPERT™ electroporation platform across Japan. The agreement positions PHCbi, PHC’s biomedical brand, as the exclusive local distributor of MaxCyte’s advanced non-viral cell engineering systems, expanding its footprint in the critical field of cell and gene therapy (CGT) manufacturing. This announcement follows a similar launch in Singapore through PHCHD’s regional subsidiary SciMed (Asia) Pte Ltd in June 2025, reinforcing PHC Holdings’ strategy of deepening its CGT infrastructure in Asia-Pacific markets.

MaxCyte’s ExPERT™ suite includes the ATx®, STx®, GTx®, and VLx® instruments, offering scalable, high-precision electroporation technology for cell transfection. Used in over 70 clinical programs as of Q1 2025, the platform is widely adopted in next-generation cell therapy development. Under the new agreement, PHCbi will provide end-to-end sales, service, and consumables support in Japan, giving domestic research labs, CDMOs, and biopharma firms direct access to one of the most validated non-viral engineering platforms available.

Why are Japanese CGT developers increasingly turning to PHCbi and MaxCyte for scalable, non-viral cell engineering technologies in 2025?

The demand for efficient, non-viral cell engineering in Japan’s growing CGT ecosystem is surging due to the country’s ambitions to lead in regenerative medicine and precision biologics. PHCbi’s exclusive agreement with MaxCyte arrives as a strategic response to this demand, ensuring researchers and therapeutic developers in Japan gain access to clinically proven, scalable tools for cell manipulation. The ExPERT™ platform uses electroporation—an electrical pulse–driven delivery method—as an alternative to traditional viral vector transfection. This eliminates major bottlenecks such as safety risks, regulatory complexity, and high production costs.

PHCbi will distribute MaxCyte’s entire ExPERT™ instrument portfolio, which includes the ATx and STx models designed for basic research and process development, and the GTx and VLx systems tailored for GMP-grade manufacturing environments. These devices support high-throughput workflows and are compatible with a wide range of cell types, making them ideal for both R&D labs and commercial biomanufacturing facilities. The platform’s ability to deliver payloads with high viability and consistency has made it a backbone for multiple clinical-stage gene editing, immunotherapy, and regenerative medicine programs worldwide.

With this agreement, PHCbi is not only expanding its product offering but also reinforcing Japan’s capacity to develop and scale CGT products, aligning with national policy goals to accelerate biopharma R&D domestically.

What distinguishes the ExPERT platform’s non-viral electroporation technology from conventional viral transfection methods?

Unlike viral-based systems, which often require weeks of vector preparation, complex regulatory clearance, and pose immunogenicity risks, the ExPERT™ platform employs Flow Electroporation™ to achieve high-efficiency transfection within hours. This methodology uses electrical pulses to create temporary pores in cell membranes, allowing genetic material to enter with high precision and minimal cell death. Importantly, this non-viral approach supports a broad range of payloads including mRNA, DNA plasmids, proteins, and CRISPR-Cas9 complexes, enhancing flexibility for diverse therapeutic pipelines.

For cell therapy developers, this represents a significant shift in operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The ExPERT ATx and STx systems enable bench-scale testing and process optimization, while the GTx and VLx platforms scale up seamlessly to commercial volumes without requiring process re-validation. This end-to-end compatibility reduces time to market and lowers regulatory risk, making ExPERT™ highly attractive to Japanese biopharma innovators seeking predictable and scalable transfection platforms.

As the CGT sector continues moving toward personalized and autologous therapies, the demand for such flexible, safe, and reproducible technologies is expected to rise—especially in regulatory-conscious markets like Japan.

How does PHCbi’s broader strategy around CGT process solutions complement the MaxCyte distribution deal?

The exclusive distribution agreement with MaxCyte forms a key pillar in PHCbi’s mission to address Quality, Cost, and Delivery (QCD) bottlenecks in the CGT manufacturing lifecycle. The partnership builds on PHCbi’s existing ecosystem of CGT-focused solutions, such as the recently introduced LiCellMo™ live-cell metabolic analyzer, which uses real-time In-Line Monitoring to assess cellular health and metabolic status during culturing.

Additionally, PHCbi is developing the LiCellGrow™ automated expansion system, designed to optimize culture conditions by automatically exchanging medium based on metabolic cues from the cells. These innovations are aimed at reducing human error, boosting batch consistency, and maximizing yields—all crucial parameters in clinical-grade manufacturing. Together with MaxCyte’s ExPERT™ instruments, PHCbi is creating a vertically integrated solution suite that spans from early research to industrial-scale therapeutic production.

This strategic alignment enhances PHCbi’s ability to serve regenerative medicine startups, academic centers, and contract manufacturers with interoperable systems tailored for CGT workflows. By simplifying the transition between development and manufacturing stages, PHCbi is helping Japanese innovators bring cell therapies to market more efficiently.

What role will the 7th Regenerative Medicine EXPO Tokyo play in accelerating adoption of MaxCyte systems in Japan?

PHCbi is set to unveil MaxCyte’s ExPERT™ product line at the 7th Regenerative Medicine EXPO Tokyo, taking place from July 9 to July 11, 2025, at Tokyo Big Sight. As Japan’s leading exhibition for regenerative medicine and biomanufacturing, the event provides a high-visibility platform for PHCbi to demonstrate the technical and clinical benefits of the ExPERT platform to key stakeholders across the CGT ecosystem.

The exhibition comes at a pivotal moment, as industry and government stakeholders work to close gaps in Japan’s CGT production pipeline. PHCbi’s booth (W5-30) will showcase not only MaxCyte’s instruments but also its integrated analytics and expansion systems, emphasizing the company’s end-to-end support capabilities. Industry attendees, including translational researchers, CDMOs, and regulators, are expected to evaluate the performance metrics of ExPERT™, such as transfection efficiency, cell viability, and throughput, within the context of Japan’s evolving GMP guidelines.

Analysts anticipate that this showcase will catalyze pilot programs and procurement decisions, particularly among institutions preparing for late-phase trials and commercialization.

How does this collaboration with MaxCyte fit within PHC Holdings’ broader Asia-Pacific strategy in biomedical instrumentation?

PHC Holdings Corporation has been steadily building a regional network to support life sciences commercialization across Asia-Pacific. The collaboration with MaxCyte fits neatly into this strategy. In Singapore, PHCHD’s wholly owned subsidiary SciMed (Asia) Pte Ltd entered into an identical distribution agreement with MaxCyte and launched the ExPERT™ platform in June 2025. SciMed serves as PHCHD’s regional hub for biomedical instrumentation, supporting markets in Southeast Asia, India, and Oceania.

With two strategic launch points—Japan via PHCbi and Singapore via SciMed—PHCHD is establishing a robust regional infrastructure for the delivery, servicing, and technical support of next-generation cell engineering platforms. This approach enables PHC Holdings to harmonize quality standards, accelerate adoption across geographies, and engage regional regulators with a unified technology roadmap.

Furthermore, by embedding MaxCyte’s tools into its APAC product catalog, PHCHD enhances the competitive profile of its biomedical division, adding premium offerings to its portfolio of laboratory freezers, incubators, and metabolic analyzers.

What are institutional and analyst perspectives on PHC Holdings’ diversification into advanced cell therapy tools?

Investor and analyst sentiment toward PHC Holdings’ foray into CGT instrumentation has been generally positive. The company’s FY2024 results reported JPY 361.6 billion in consolidated net sales, underpinned by steady growth in its life sciences and healthcare solutions segments. The integration of high-margin, clinical-grade platforms such as ExPERT™ into its biomedical portfolio is seen by institutional observers as accretive to both revenue growth and long-term R&D differentiation.

Analysts view the MaxCyte partnership as a strategic move that strengthens PHC Holdings’ competitive position in a field projected to exceed USD 60 billion globally by 2030. By aligning with a clinically validated, non-viral platform and pairing it with in-house analytics and automation systems, PHCbi offers a compelling value proposition to biotech firms and CDMOs seeking standardized CGT toolkits.

Moreover, PHC Holdings’ ability to roll out synchronized launches in Japan and Southeast Asia showcases operational maturity and strengthens confidence in its Asia-Pacific expansion trajectory.

What are the projected next steps in the PHC-MaxCyte collaboration and CGT innovation roadmap?

Looking ahead, PHCbi is expected to deepen its relationship with MaxCyte through co-marketing campaigns, training programs, and customized application development for Japanese users. The company may also offer GMP validation services and data integration support for organizations deploying the ExPERT™ platform in late-stage clinical and commercial environments.

On the R&D side, PHCbi may integrate MaxCyte’s Flow Electroporation™ with its proprietary LiCell™ ecosystem to offer intelligent control features and real-time quality analytics. Such developments could enable closed-loop manufacturing workflows, which are increasingly favored by regulators for personalized cell therapies.

Analysts believe that further expansion of this partnership could include exclusive rights to additional MaxCyte services, such as its SeQure DX™ gene editing risk assessment technology, further reinforcing PHC Holdings’ leadership in enabling next-generation therapeutics across Asia.