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Introduction
PL BioScience is a German biotech SME founded in 2015 in Aachen, building on research conducted at RWTH Aachen University. The company specialises in Human Platelet Lysate (HPL), a cell culture supplement derived from human platelets that provides cells with the growth factors they need to proliferate efficiently in laboratory conditions.
The science behind the product draws on the natural biology of wound healing: when the body is injured, platelets gather at the wound site, form a clot, and release growth signals that stimulate tissue regeneration. PL BioScience harnesses these properties to create ELAREM™, its proprietary platform of HPL-based products, which serves as a superior and ethically sound alternative to Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS) — the animal-derived supplement that has been the industry standard in cell culture for over 70 years.
Since launching its first commercial product in 2022, the company has been growing rapidly, doubling revenues year on year. PL BioScience is today the only company in Europe — and one of very few globally — capable of producing Human Platelet Lysate at both industrial and clinical grade scale.
Why Japan?
Japan's leadership in stem cell science made it a natural target market. Following the Nobel Prize-winning discovery by Professor Shinya Yamanaka of Kyoto University in 2012 — the reprogramming of ordinary cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) — Japan became one of the most advanced countries in the world in stem cell research and regenerative medicine. For PL BioScience, whose products are ideally suited to support iPSC-based research and cell therapy development, this represented a compelling opportunity.
Beyond iPSC science, Japan's strong and innovative pharmaceutical industry made it an attractive destination for a company with a differentiated product seeking to expand internationally.
However, breaking into the Japanese market from Europe proved far from being straightforward. For nearly two years, the company explored entry options without finding a clear path forward. The turning point came through a german accelerator programme, which facilitated introductions to multiple Japanese companies and organisations. Additionally, the Aachen-based company also took part in the EU-Japan Centre’s Biotech mission in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
These connections eventually led to two significant milestones achieved in 2024–2025: the signing of an exclusive distribution agreement with Summit Pharmaceuticals Internationals, a member of the Sumitomo Group, and the obtainment of a PMDA (Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency) certificate for its flagship clinical-grade product — a regulatory clearance that formally authorises commercial sales in Japan.
The EU-Japan Centre's Support
The EU-Japan Centre's Biotech Business Mission — including participation in the Osaka Partnering Conference — helped the company obtain PMDA certification, which as a foreign company is a complex process. Through the mission's structured partnering programme, PL BioScience was introduced to a Japanese company with deep PMDA expertise. That introduction led to a formal partnership and, ultimately, to successful regulatory certification.
The company highlights several aspects of the mission that were particularly valuable:
Challenges in the Japanese Market
Japan's biotech and pharma ecosystem is rich but not always easy to read from the outside. A significant portion of relevant companies and research institutions maintain a limited online presence, and often information in English are hard to reach. Many of the most interesting potential partners are, in effect, hidden from view until the right introduction is made.
The structured partnering format of the EU-Japan Centre missions proved key to unlocking this network. Notably, even meetings that did not lead to direct partnerships were valuable: Japanese companies were consistently willing to refer PL BioScience to other relevant organisations when there was not an obvious fit. This was a reflection of the collaborative spirit that can characterise Japanese business relationships once trust is established.
Advice to EU SMEs
Japan may seem distant, complex, or daunting. PL BioScience's experience suggests that the rewards justify the effort. Japanese partners are highly organised, precise and reliable. The challenge is getting through the door; once inside, the quality of relationships and the pace of collaboration can be transformative for a European SME. The company's advice is simple: take the leap.
Text based on an interview with Jungsoo Park, Vice President of Marketing and Sales. Participant in the 2025 Biotech Business Mission.
Published in April 2026.
Joint venture established in 1987 by the European Commission (DG GROW) and the Japanese Government (METI) for promoting all forms of industrial, trade and investment cooperation between the EU and Japan.
