CTIBIOTECH™ Announces Strategic Partnership and MOU With Beijing Vital River to Advance Preclinical Biomedical Innovation in China

CTIBIOTECH™, a pioneering Contract Research, Development, and Manufacturing Organization (CRDMO) and global leader in 3D bioprinting of human tissues, today announces the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and strategic partnership with Beijing Vital River, a Charles River company and provider of research models and associated preclinical services in China.

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The agreement was signed in Shanghai during the Shanghai – Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Economic Dialogue, organized by the Nouvel Institut Franco-Chinois (NIFC), as part of the official Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region delegation to China.

This alliance is designed to bring CTIBIOTECH™'s unique preclinical CRDMO offering, specifically its proprietary human New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) and advanced bioassays, directly into the Chinese market.
By combining these highly predictive human tissue models with Beijing Vital River's established preclinical infrastructure, the partnership will enable and accelerate pharmaceutical and biotechnology innovation across China, meeting the industry's critical demand for reproducible and relevant testing models.

Professor Colin McGuckin, President and Chief Scientific Officer of CTIBIOTECH™, stated: "By integrating our advanced 3D bioprinted human tissue models and customized bioassays with Beijing Vital River's extensive network, we are directly addressing the global challenge of clinical trial failures. This partnership ensures that researchers and biopharma innovators in China have immediate access to the highly predictive, human-relevant NAMs required to safely and reliably test new therapies and drive the future of personalized medicine."

Dr. Nicolas Forraz, Chief Executive Officer of CTIBIOTECH™, commented: "Biomedical innovation increasingly depends on our ability to bring together complementary scientific expertise and build meaningful partnerships across borders. Signing this MOU with Beijing Vital River in Shanghai, during the 40th anniversary year of cooperation between Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Shanghai, is a major milestone for CTIBIOTECH™.

"This alliance allows us to deploy our unique preclinical human NAMs and bioassay offerings to a wider scientific community in China, drastically accelerating predictive drug discovery for our local pharmaceutical partners."

Dr. Bing Xu, General Manager of Beijing Vital River, added: "We are thrilled to partner with CTIBIOTECH™ to bring their visionary 3D human tissue engineering capabilities to China. This alliance perfectly complements our existing preclinical research services and empowers local pharmaceutical and biotechnology innovators with cutting-edge, human-relevant tools to accelerate the development of next-generation, life-saving treatments."

The signing ceremony took place at the Huangpu District integrated business support center in Shanghai, serving as a highlight of the 40th anniversary of the partnership between the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region and the Municipality of Shanghai.

The broader Economic Dialogue, themed "Environmental transition: a challenge and an opportunity for industry and territories," convened public authorities, companies, universities, research bodies, and financial institutions from both regions.

The ceremony was held under the patronage of Fabrice Pannekoucke, President of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region; and in the presence of Thierry de La Tour d'Artaise, President of the NIFC; Philippe Meunier, Vice-President of the Region in charge of International Relations; and Franck Colcombet, Chairman of the Executive Board of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Entreprises, alongside representatives of the Municipality of Shanghai and the Huangpu District.

This strategic expansion into Asia reflects CTIBIOTECH™'s broader international development strategy, building upon the successful launch of its North American subsidiary, CTIBIOTECH USA™, in Philadelphia in May 2026.

CTIBIOTECH™ extends its gratitude to the Nouvel Institut Franco-Chinois (NIFC), the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region, and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Entreprises for organizing the event, as well as its French and European partners, including Business France, Bpifrance, and the Chamber of Commerce of Lyon Métropole, for their continued support.

About Vital River:

Beijing Vital River Laboratory Animal Technology Co., Ltd. (Vital River) was founded in 1999 and became a joint venture with Charles River Laboratories (Charles River) in China in 2013. It is the entity through which Charles River conducts its Research Models and Services business in China.
Charles River provides essential products and services to help pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, government agencies and leading academic institutions around the globe accelerate their research and drug development efforts.

About CTIBIOTECH™:

Founded in 2009 in Lyon, France, CTIBIOTECH™ is an innovative CRDMO dedicated to "Visionary Science for Healthcare Innovation.” The company specializes in creating functional 3D human tissues by upcycling human surgical tissues that are normally discarded, giving them new life to advance biomedical research. Operating an ISO 9001-certified human tissue biobank for research use only with a capacity of over 50,000 clinical samples, CTIBIOTECH™ provides integrated drug discovery, development, and innovation solutions globally, drastically reducing the industry's reliance on animal testing.

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