Sumitomo Bakelite Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; President and Representative Director: Shinichi Kajiya) announced today that the Company has entered into a distribution agreement for Japan covering Expansify™, a world’s first* high oxygen-permeability & high-density cell culture platform developed and manufactured by XDemics Corporation (Head Office: San Rafael, California, USA; Chairman and CEO: Christopher Thanos, PhD).
Under the agreement, the Company will market and distribute Expansify™ (Photo), XDemics’ high-density cell culture platform, to biotechnology companies, cell and gene therapy developers, CDMOs, universities, and research institutions throughout Japan. Preparations for commercialization are currently underway, and customer outreach is scheduled to begin in October 2026.

* Based on our research (September 2026)

About Expansify™

Expansify™ is a platform that enables high-density cell culture through proprietary high oxygen-permeability technology. The platform is expected to contribute to more efficient research, development, and manufacturing processes in the fields of regenerative medicine and cell and gene therapy.

By combining XDemics’ proprietary High-Density Cell Respiration™ (HDCR™) technology with the Company’s extensive manufacturing experience in cell culture and regenerative medicine, broad customer network across Japan’s biotechnology and academic markets, and technical sales capabilities in cell and gene therapy and biologics, the Company aims to accelerate adoption of Expansify™ in Japan.

*Expansify™ is intended for research use only.

Comment from Christopher Thanos
PhD Chairman and CEO, XDemics Corporation

“Japan is a key market for regenerative medicine, cell therapy, and advanced biomanufacturing, and Sumitomo Bakelite Co., Ltd. is an ideal partner for expanding access to our technology. The Company’s extensive expertise, strong customer relationships, and reputation for quality will play an important role in helping researchers and developers throughout Japan adopt Expansify™. This agreement represents an important step in accelerating our global expansion.”

“Expansify™ is a high-density cell culture platform built on our proprietary HDCR™ technology and was developed to address the challenges of insufficient oxygen delivery and cellular stress associated with conventional cell culture systems. Its gas-permeable architecture (Figure) efficiently delivers oxygen directly to cells, enabling low-shear culture conditions without the need for agitation or sparging.”

“Compared with conventional cultureware, Expansify™ enables higher cell densities while maintaining cell functionality and quality. In addition, by providing a consistent culture environment from research through manufacturing, the platform helps reduce risks associated with scale-up and scale-out.”

“Because Expansify™ is based on a standard ANSI/SLAS-compliant footprint, it offers excellent compatibility with automated liquid-handling systems and other laboratory automation platforms. From research laboratories to manufacturing facilities, it enables more efficient cell culture while reducing space requirements and labor demands.”

Comment from Hayao Tanaka
General Manager, S-Bio Division, Sumitomo Bakelite Co., Ltd.

“Japan’s cell culture market is reaching a critical inflection point driven by the commercialization of regenerative medicine and cell and gene therapies. Expansify™, built upon XDemics’ unique high oxygen-permeability technology, is a next-generation platform designed to meet customers’ needs for efficient large-scale cell culture while maintaining product quality. We are delighted to introduce this innovative technology to the Japanese market and look forward to working closely with XDemics to support researchers and developers and contribute to the continued advancement of regenerative medicine and related fields in Japan.”

“The Company and XDemics Corporation will work together to establish a commercial presence in Japan, provide technical support, and accelerate customer adoption. Initial target applications include stem cell research, cell and gene therapy, biologics development, automated cell production, and industrial-scale cell manufacturing. The two companies will also explore opportunities for deeper technical collaboration by combining the Company’s manufacturing expertise with XDemics’ HDCR™ technology.”

About XDemics Corporation

XDemics Corporation is developing its High-Density Cell Respiration™ (HDCR™) technology to overcome oxygen-delivery and shear-stress limitations associated with conventional cell culture systems. The technology enables direct control of the cellular oxygen environment and can achieve cell densities of up to 100 times those of conventional approaches while maintaining cell functionality and quality.
Through its Expansify™ cultureware products and the Profusion™ bioreactor platform currently under development, the Company provides solutions supporting workflows from drug discovery research through commercial-scale production. XDemics Corporation also holds exclusive rights to intellectual property originating from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and City of Hope.

Company Name: XDemics Corporation
Head Office: 1281 Andersen Drive, Suite K, San Rafael, California 94901, USA
Founded: 2017
Chairman and CEO: Christopher Thanos, PhD
Website: https://www.xdemics.com/

Media Contacts

Mike Hyatt, Director of Sales and Commercial Development
myhatt@xdemics.com

Related Information

S-Bio Business Division

[Contact information]

S-Bio Business Division, Sumitomo Bakelite Co., Ltd.