PHCbi Launches LiCellGrow™ Cell Expansion System to Support High-Quality and Efficient Production of Cell and Gene Therapies

TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar 2, 2026--

PHC Corporation’s Biomedical Division (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Nobuaki Nakamura; hereinafter “PHCbi”), a global provider of laboratory sample storage and cell cultivation solutions and subsidiary of PHC Holdings Corporation (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo), today announced the launch of its new cell expansion system LiCellGrow™ (*1) for research use in Japan and other select countries worldwide (*2). The system is designed to improve quality and efficiency in the production of new advanced therapies by allowing therapy developers to visualize metabolic changes in cells in real time and automatically control culture conditions.

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PHCbi will exhibit LiCellGrow™ at the 25th Congress of the Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine, March 19-20 at the Kobe International Conference Center and Kobe International Exhibition Center in Kobe, Japan.

Cell and gene therapies (CGT), in which cells or genetic material are used to create personalized medical treatments, are rapidly advancing as promising treatment options for hard-to-treat diseases such as genetic disorders and cancer. In the manufacturing of CGT products, however, variations in cell characteristics and complexity of manufacturing are challenges to maintaining a consistent quality product. As a result, therapy developers are faced with reduced production efficiency, lower yields, and increased manufacturing costs compared to conventional therapies. To overcome these challenges, it is essential for therapy developers to be able to identify critical process parameters (CPPs) and critical quality attributes (CQAs) in CGT product manufacturing. The ability to monitor cell status and control culture conditions based on cell status are indispensable to developing quality CGT products at scale efficiently and at a lower cost.

PHCbi developed LiCellGrow™ to address these challenges and support CGT manufacturing at scale by helping to identify optimal culture conditions during the manufacturing process development. The system is equipped with proprietary In-Line monitoring technology that continuously measures, in real time, glucose and lactate concentrations, two key indicators of cell metabolism. It also incorporates culture control technology that adjusts cell culture medium at the optimal time based on these measurements. This technology is built on PHCbi’s proprietary electrochemical measurement platform, cultivated through more than 30 years of blood glucose sensor development. By visualizing the metabolic state of cultured cells, which is traditionally difficult to assess, and enabling precise control of culture conditions, LiCellGrow™ supports improved cell quality and enhanced efficiency as well as lower costs through reduced losses in the manufacturing of CGT products.

Under PHC Group’s Value Creation Plan 2027, which includes a focus on Diagnostics and Life Sciences, PHCbi is developing solutions to enhance efficiency and reduce costs in the manufacturing of CGT products. LiCellGrow™ builds on the In-Line monitoring technology introduced in LiCellMo™ (*3), a live cell metabolic analyzer launched in 2024 for research use only. From late 2026 through early 2028, PHCbi plans to expand its product lineup in phases, including culture bags with filtration functions that enhance cell recovery, pH/DO (dissolved oxygen) meter units, and cGMP-compliant dedicated consumables. These enhancements will support seamless scaling of CGT from basic research to commercial manufacturing in products such as CAR-T cell therapy.

[Key Features of the Product]

1. Automated Control and Optimization of Culture Conditions Using In-Line Monitoring Technology
By utilizing In-Line monitoring technology, LiCellGrow™ continuously tracks real-time changes in culture conditions and cell status, and automates medium exchange based on the acquired metabolic data. This enables the culture environment to be consistently maintained in an optimal state, contributing not only to improved cell quality and uniformity but also enhanced manufacturing efficiency. Furthermore, this process control approach aligns with the concept of Quality by Design (QbD) (*4), which embeds quality scientifically at the design stage rather than relying solely on final product testing. The system therefore supports the development of scientifically robust and highly reproducible manufacturing processes.

2. Single-Use Design Ensuring Aseptic Conditions and Highly Reproducible Cell Culture
LiCellGrow™ employs easy-to-attach, single-use dedicated culture bags. With automated measurement of culture conditions using In-Line sensors, the sampling tasks previously required to check glucose and lactate concentrations are no longer necessary. This reduces the risk of cross-contamination and enables closed-system cell culture that maintains aseptic conditions. In addition, the device can be placed inside a standard CO₂ incubator commonly used in laboratories, eliminating the need for special facility investments and allowing users to easily establish a reliable and highly reproducible culture environment.

Chikara Takauo, Director of PHC Corporation and Head of the Biomedical Division, commented:
“We are excited to launch LiCellGrow™ and offer therapy developers a new way to solve common challenges in quality, cost, and delivery of cell and gene therapies. Building on the success of our research-use system LiCellMo™, LiCellGrow™ represents an important step forward in making CGT manufacturing efficient, reliable, and scalable. We are committed to expanding our PHCbi offerings to continue to contribute to the adoption of CGT and other advanced therapy options for hard-to-treat conditions.”

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Overview of the 25th Congress of the Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine
Dates: March 19 – 20, 2026
Venue: Kobe International Exhibition Hall, Building No. 2, 1st Floor (PHCbi Booth No.: T31)
Official Website: The 25th Congress of the Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine
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(*1) https://www.phchd.com/jp/biomedical/incubation/cell-expansion-system-en
This product is intended for research use only and not for medical or clinical purposes.
(*2) Not available for purchase in the United States. Expected U.S. launch in the summer of 2026.
(*3) Live Cell Metabolic Analyzer | PHCbi
(*4) An approach to quality assurance defined in the ICH (International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use) guidelines (ICH Q8–Q11) and widely adopted in the pharmaceutical field.

About the Biomedical Division of PHC Corporation

Established in 1969, PHC Corporation is a Japanese subsidiary of PHC Holdings Corporation (TSE 6523), a global healthcare company that develops, manufactures, sells, and services solutions across diabetes management, healthcare solutions, life sciences and diagnostics. The Biomedical Division supports the life sciences industry helping researchers and healthcare providers in around 110 countries and regions through its laboratory and equipment and services including CO 2 incubators and ultra-low temperature freezers.
www.phchd.com/global/phc

About PHC Holdings Corporation

PHC Holdings Corporation (TSE 6523) is a global healthcare company with a mission of contributing to the health of society through healthcare solutions that have a positive impact and improve the lives of people. Its subsidiaries include PHC Corporation, Ascensia Diabetes Care, Epredia, LSI Medience Corporation, Wemex Corporation, and Mediford Corporation. Together, these companies develop, manufacture, sell and service solutions across diabetes management, healthcare solutions, diagnostics and life sciences. The consolidated net sales in FY2024 were JPY 361.6 billion with global distribution of products and services in more than 125 countries and regions. PHC Group is a collective term referring to PHC Holdings Corporation and its subsidiaries.
www.phchd.com

Controller and processor, Filter-less culture bag and reservoir/waste bags *Controller and other accessories sold separately, but all of them required for operating the system.

The only thing rarer than success in the global pop music industry is longevity. But K-pop girl group Twice make resilience look easy.

Last year — Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung and Tzuyu — celebrated their 10th anniversary with the release of “TEN: The Story Goes On.” It's mostly composed of solo songs from its nine members, extending into genres far beyond the bubblegum pop they popularized: “Fix a Drink” is country, “Chess” samples Beethoven's “Für Elise,” and so on.

But that's not the only thing they're celebrating: Not so long ago Sony Pictures Animation reached out to the group to participate in a new project they were working on: “KPop Demon Hunters.”

The movie, which Netflix has said is its most watched film of all time, has amassed hundreds of millions of hours viewed worldwide. It was also the highest charting soundtrack of 2025 with eight of its songs landing on the Billboard Hot 100. It also made a splash in theaters in August and got a subsequent release over Halloween weekend.

Next week, it's up for two Oscars at the Academy Awards. Not a bad call to get.

Below, Twice discusses “KPop Demon Hunters,” being a decade into their career and evolving definitions of success.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

MINA: For Twice’s solo songs, it seems like each member chose a concept that suited them well. And for the group songs, because we’ve been together for 10 years, we know each other’s vocal colors and strengths, so we’re able to assign parts that highlight those individual characteristics, allowing us to showcase our personalities even more.

JIHYO: We’ve worked incredibly hard for the past 10 years, but honestly, I’m not sure what the criteria for success really is. We’ve just consistently and diligently done what we’ve been doing, and if the fact that many people have listened to our music, loved it, and felt encouraged by it constitutes success, then perhaps we have achieved success. However, I still think there’s so much more we can do.

DAHYUN: First of all, we have a lot of group chats. We have a company group chat, a member group chat, and several other group chats. When we can’t meet in person, we discuss things there, and sometimes we even use a voting feature to make decisions by majority vote, choosing from various options. We also hold meetings in person at the company. Both the members and the company staff work together, discussing things and trying their best to make a great album.

JIHYO: It feels like there’s also a broader generational trend at play, and when looking at what’s popular these days, we tend to choose things that align well with Twice. We try to do what we can at that time, and we also try not to repeat what we’ve done before. We consider many different opinions, and although the process gets more difficult with each album, we’re still enjoying it.

JEONGYEON: I think I understand it well now. Ten years ago, my voice was one that was trying very hard to sound good, but now I’m recording with the mindset of singing in my natural voice, just being myself.

CHAEYOUNG: When recording, I think we try our best to perform our parts well, listening to it repeatedly and rerecording. Since performing well is our job, we naturally feel that we have to do it perfectly.

JEONGYEON: Twice’s music is very bright, cute, and generally requires a refreshing vocal style, but the song “Takedown” in “KPop Demon Hunters” is a very powerful song. In fact, during my trainee days, I only sang powerful songs. So, it brought back memories of my trainee days, and I remember having a lot of fun recording it.

CHAEYOUNG: There were several scenes where Mira (a member of “Kpop Demon Hunters” girl group HUNTR/X), was constantly eating something. Although the eating scene was portrayed dramatically in the animation, we also eat a lot after concerts because we had spent so much energy, and we need that energy replenishment. I think those aspects were portrayed quite well. Those parts really resonated with me. The costumes were also great.

MOMO: We’ve done a lot already, but our goal is to meet our fans for a long, long time, perform together, try new things, and continue to connect with our fans for many years to come.

JIHYO: Well, so far, I honestly think that over the past 10 years, we’ve put a lot of emphasis on the group. But recently, we’ve shown some unit activities, like the MiSaMo subunit (made up of Momo, Sana, and Mina) and some members performing at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show and I think those are also part of Twice’s activities.

Dahyun is pursuing an acting career for example, but ultimately, I think these activities don’t negatively impact Twice’s activities; in fact, they bring many positive benefits, so I don’t feel like there’s much of a difference.

AP Music Writer Maria Sherman in New York and writer Juwon Park in Seoul contributed to this report.

Jeongyeon, from left, Jihyo, Dahyun, Sana, Mina, Tzuyu, Chaeyoung, Momo, and Nayeon of TWICE pose for a portrait on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (Photo by Andrew Park/Invision/AP)

Members of TWICE, from left, Jeongyeon, Jihyo, Dahyun, Sana, Mina, Tzuyu, Chaeyoung, Momo, and Nayeon pose for a portrait on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (Photo by Andrew Park/Invision/AP)

Jeongyeon, from left, Jihyo, Dahyun, Sana, Mina, Tzuyu, Chaeyoung, Momo, and Nayeon of TWICE pose for a portrait on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (Photo by Andrew Park/Invision/AP)

Jeongyeon, from left, Jihyo, Dahyun, Sana, Mina, Tzuyu, Chaeyoung, Momo, and Nayeon of TWICE pose for a portrait on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (Photo by Andrew Park/Invision/AP)