Q Therapeutics, Inc. announced a collaborative research agreement with REPROCELL Inc. that combines each company’s proprietary technologies to develop new iPS cell (IPSC) therapies for central nervous system (CNS) diseases. Q Therapeutics has patented a process to manufacture glial-restricted progenitor (GRP) cells from any tissue source. GRPs have been proven safe and effective in several pre-clinical CNS disease models. Q Therapeutics has obtained Investigational New Drug (IND) clearance from the FDA in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Transverse Myelitis (both orphan indications) for its adult cell product, Q-CELLS™. REPROCELL has developed a proprietary process to manufacture integration-free, virus-free and clinically relevant human iPSC lines using proprietary RNA reprogramming technology. This process is suitable for manufacturing robust, consistent and high quality functional cells at commercial scale. Combining these technologies will enable rapid generation of therapeutic-grade, iPSC-derived GRPs to generate safety and efficacy data in preclinical disease models. Q Therapeutics’ expertise in obtaining regulatory approval in the United States and REPROCELL’s ongoing clinical partnerships in Japan enable them to work toward approval of IPSC-derived products on a global scale.