CDI realigns to better serve therapeutic and life-sciences customers

MADISON, Wis.—Cellular Dynamics International Inc. (CDI) a Fujifilm company, announced recently that its operations will be divided into two equally important business units, effective Sept. 1. This is a reversal of sorts of a more common move by drug companies to open services arms, as CDI is a service company now opening a more drug-oriented arm.

 

Under this realignment, Dr. Emile Nuwaysir, president and chief operating officer of CDI, will lead the Therapeutics Business Unit. The Life Science business unit will be led by Dr. Bruce Novich, executive vice president and general manager. Novich is also the division president of the Fujifilm North America Corporation’s Corporate New Business Development Division.

 

The company’s new Life Science business unit will, CRI says, “concentrate on building the research products business by propelling innovative cell products, applications and services into the fast-growing iPSC [induced pluripotent stem cells] marketplace.” According to the company, this business unit is already on a “clear path” to profitability.

 

“Our company considers the overall regenerative medicine market to represent an early-stage opportunity; we anticipate tremendous market growth by 2040,” said Kazuyoshi Hirao, chairman and CEO of CDI. "CDI and Fujifilm are firmly committed to the long-term potential of both the Therapeutics and Life Science businesses. Our new company structure will help us reinforce business objectives and align business units to drive growth in targeted markets. Overall, this new organization will make the company more effective and allow us to better serve our customers.”

 

CDI is a developer and manufacturer of human cells used in drug discovery, toxicity testing, stem cell banking and cell therapy development. The company partners with innovators from around the world to combine biologically relevant human cells with the newest technologies to drive advancements in medicine and healthier living. CDI’s technology offers the potential to create iPSCs from anyone, starting with a standard blood draw and followed by “the powerful capability to develop into virtually any cell type in the human body,” the company notes. Founded in 2004 by Dr. James Thomson, a pioneer in human pluripotent stem cell research, CDI is based in Wisconsin with a second facility in Novato, Calif.

 

Fujifilm Holdings Corp., based in Tokyo, brings “continuous innovation and leading-edge products to a broad spectrum of industries, including: healthcare, with medical systems, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics; graphic systems; highly functional materials, such as flat-panel display materials; optical devices, such as broadcast and cinema lenses; digital imaging; and document products.,” the company explains. In the year ended March 31, 2016, the company had global revenues of $22.1 billion.