SEATTLE and CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom, May 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Pluristyx, a leading provider of clinical-grade induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) solutions, and Qkine, a pioneer in the manufacture of high-purity, animal-free growth factors and cytokines, today announced a distribution agreement to support streamlined and efficient R&D and manufacturing of differentiated cells and tissues from iPSC. This collaboration will provide researchers, product manufacturers, and therapeutic developers with a streamlined, high-performance workflow, pre-qualified to deliver reliable differentiation of iPSCs into product cells and tissues.
The partnership pairs Pluristyx’s proprietary clinical-grade iPSC lines with Qkine’s portfolio of ultra-pure, bioactive proteins. By prospectively qualifying Qkine’s growth factors for use with Pluristyx’s Ready-to-Differentiate™ (RTD™) cells, the two companies offer a “ready-to-use” solution designed to improve experimental consistency, reduce development timelines, support reliable, rapid, and iterative R&D and manufacturing, and ensure a seamless transition from discovery to clinical applications.
“At Pluristyx, our mission is to simplify the path for those developing organoids, new approach methodologies (NAMs) made from iPSC, and the next generation of regenerative medicines,” said Dr. Priya Baraniak, Chief Commercial and Development Officer of Pluristyx. “By integrating Qkine’s industry-leading, animal-free growth factors with our iPSC offerings, we are addressing a critical bottleneck in the industry: prospectively paired, high-quality, and reliable cells and cytokines that perform consistently from the milliliter to multi-liter scale in both research and GMP processes.”
The synergy between the two companies addresses the logistical needs of regenerative medicine and also organoid manufacturing and NAMs. Researchers and product developers can now benefit from optimized protocols that leverage the standardized complementarity of Qkine’s proteins to Pluristyx’s iPSC for differentiating cells and tissues.
“Qkine is dedicated to raising the benchmark in bioactive cytokine and growth factor manufacturing to ensure consistency and reproducibility and enable stem cell researchers to unlock human-relevant biology in new approach methodologies,” said Rob Nixon, Commercial Director at Qkine. “This agreement with Pluristyx allows us to pair our growth factor kits with a market-leading iPSC platform, providing customers with a qualified and standardised, synergistic approach to product development and manufacturing.”
About Pluristyx
Pluristyx is the leading provider of advanced iPSC-based solutions for the cell and gene therapy industry, delivering a comprehensive platform designed to accelerate therapeutic development with unmatched speed, safety, and scalability. Leveraging proprietary mRNA bulk reprogramming and a polyclonal iPSC approach, Pluristyx produces genetically younger, more stable, and highly expandable cells. The company’s portfolio spans off-the-shelf, clinical-grade iPSC lines, custom gene editing and engineering, and innovative safety and immune-evasion technologies, including the FailSafe® safety switch, iACT Stealth™ immune cloaking system, and HLA-null capabilities. Beyond cell sourcing, Pluristyx supports the entire development continuum, from concept to organoid-based disease modeling, high-throughput drug screening, and GMP-scale manufacturing, empowering therapeutic developers to streamline workflows, reduce risk, and accelerate the path to clinic.
About Qkine
Qkine is a leading manufacturer of high-purity, animal origin-free growth factors, cytokines, and complex bioactive proteins for life science and cell and gene therapy applications. Headquartered in Cambridge, UK, Qkine addresses critical biological, quality, and scalability challenges through proprietary recombinant protein production processes combined with advanced protein engineering techniques. Our commitment to innovation supports emerging fields such as 3D stem cell models, organoids, cellular agriculture, cell therapy, regenerative medicine, and organ-on-a-chip technologies. By delivering reliable tools for research and biomanufacturing, Qkine aims to accelerate the impact of these technologies on human health and wellbeing.
Media Contact:
Dr. Priya Baraniak
Chief Commercial and Development Officer
Pluristyx, Inc.
priya@pluristyx.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bcb451b5-83a5-421f-9fb7-ae3b5c72fc0b
