Allied Cell Technology

Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine International (SCRMI), originally established as Allied Cell Technology, was a high-profile joint venture between the American biotech Advanced Cell Technology (ACT) and South Korea's CHA Biotech. Founded in 2008 and based in Worcester, Massachusetts, the company was dedicated to commercializing proprietary hemangioblast cell technology to develop "universal donor" red blood cells and functional platelets. Its research also extended to using human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) for treating vascular diseases, retinal degeneration, and corneal damage. Following a restructuring in 2011 and the subsequent acquisition of ACT by Astellas Pharma in 2016, the venture's core technologies were integrated into the Astellas Institute for Regenerative Medicine.