On May 18, the first serum-free medium independently developed by Qidu Pharma’s Biopharmaceutical Division—Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cell Serum-Free Medium (Brand: PeiMeiYou®)—officially entered the market.
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are widely used in treating various diseases, including trauma repair, immune disorders, and diabetes, making them a key focus of national biopharmaceutical development. Data shows that China has over 40,000 stem cell-related enterprises, including more than a dozen listed companies.
Traditionally, MSCs are cultured using fetal bovine serum (FBS)-supplemented media. However, as an animal-derived product, FBS faces challenges in batch-to-batch consistency, unpredictable compositional effects on cells, and potential risks of viruses (e.g., mad cow disease) or other contaminants, posing significant quality control hurdles. The "Guidelines for Quality Control and Preclinical Research of Stem Cell Preparations" explicitly state that "unless under exceptional circumstances, the use of human or animal-derived serum in stem cell culture should be avoided."
Breakthrough Innovation: PeiMeiYou® Serum-Free Medium
The Umbilical Cord MSC Serum-Free Medium project, initiated in December 2022, addresses this industry pain point. With no prior experience to reference, the R&D team leveraged Qidu Pharma’s 48 years of expertise in fluid balance and parenteral nutrition to pioneer a solution. Through relentless effort, they:
l Developed a proprietary formula with dozens of components.
l Established a high-end liquid medium preparation and filling system.
l Achieved large-scale production and commercialization.
l Key Advantages of PeiMeiYou®:
l Formulated with 40+ injectable-grade raw materials under cGMP standards.
l Supports both primary and passaged cultures of umbilical cord MSCs.
l Enables rapid cell growth (population doubling time: 18–20 hours for low-passage cells).
l Cultured cells meet International Society for Cell Therapy (ISCT) standards for surface markers and trilineage differentiation.
l Animal component-free, eliminating risks of xenogeneic contamination associated with FBS.
Future Vision
"A time will come to ride the wind and cleave the waves; I’ll set my cloud-like sail to cross the sea which raves." With PeiMeiYou® as a cornerstone, the Biopharmaceutical Division will further expand its product pipeline, providing comprehensive upstream solutions for cell therapy and advancing the cell-based medicine industry.
Mission: Democratizing Biopharmaceuticals, Safeguarding Life and Health.
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