May 9, 2013
News Release

Market launch of fully-automated cryopreservation systemfor iPS cells
Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corporation (TNSC; President: Shinji Tanabe) announces
the development and market launch of its new CryoLibrary ® (CAPS-i3000)
fully-automated cryopreservation system featuring technology optimal forcryopreservation of iPS cells.

1. Background of Development
Industrial applications for iPS cells call for technologies enabling highlyefficient, large-volume cryopreservation of high-quality cultured cells.
Conventional means of freezing human iPS cells, however, yield post-thaw
survival of around only 10%, as a consequence of challenges inherent infreezing such cells along with varying skill levels of lab technicians.
Though it is possible to achieve a higher rate of cell survival by gradually
freezing cells overnight in a -80°C cryogenic freezer, this technique is notpractical for mass automated production.
Accordingly,TNSC
hasdevelopedtechnology
optimalfor
cryopreservation of iPS cells on the basis of TNSC-developed technologies
such as ultra-low-temperature equipment utilizing liquid nitrogen and fullyautomated cryopreservation equipment designed to prevent the possibility ofwrong vial selection. Development of the technology represents theculmination of TNSC's joint research with laboratories of the National
Center for Child Health and Development under the guidance of Kyoto
University's Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA) involving
participation in the Development of Core Technologies for Industrial
Applications of Human Stem Cells Project through the Stem Cell Evaluation
Technology Research Association (SCETRA) commissioned by the New
Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), an
incorporated administrative agency.

2. Overview of the Device
Currently-available CryoLibrary automated cryopreservation systems havegained a solid reputation as safe and secure devices that prevent instancesof wrong vial selection thanks to features that include a robotic handlingapparatus for automated transfer of specimens to freezing and storage units,
and bar code technology for computerized tracking of frozen specimens.
Development of the new cryopreservation system entailed use of acommercially-available cryoprotectant agent, free of animal substances thatcan be used in regenerative medicine and other such applications in order tobring about a higher rate of frozen iPS cell survival (post-thaw cellviability). .
The new device delivers a higher iPS cell thaw survival rate thanks to its
cell-freezing functionality, whereby the unit maintains optimal temperature
control of iPS cells using a liquid-nitrogen spray, rather than merely
soaking the cells in liquid nitrogen, which enables it to store the cells in asupercooled state while still in liquid form even at sub-freezing pointtemperatures, before their subsequent release from the supercooled state.
This freezing method enables the device to freeze iPS cells in one-fifth thetime conventionally required (TNSC comparisons), while raising the cell
viability from 50% to over 80%.
Theseproductfeatures
enablehighly-efficient,mass-volume
cryopreservation and yield of increasingly higher quality cultured iPS cells.

3. Future Development
Progress is anticipated in the wake of the current phase of practical iPS cellresearch toward developing applications in drug discovery screening andother realms in pharmaceuticals in such areas as efficacy assessment anddrug safety trials, thereby giving rise to expectations that this could greatly
contribute to life sciences and advanced medicine through applications infields such as regenerative medicine involving transplanting tissues oforgans grown from iPS cells.
Safe and reliable iPS cell cryopreservation systems are essential at every
stage of that process. Meanwhile, TNSC envisages increasing demand forcell cryopreservation technology, and is accordingly considering potential
applications such as those involving 10-year storage of cells used in clinical
trials. TNSC has set its sights on achieving total sales of one billion yen by
2016, four years from now.

External view of the CryoLibrary ® (CAPS-i3000) fully-automated iPS cell
cryopreservation unit