iXCells and Rosebud Team Up on Human Organoid Models

As the life sciences industry intensifies its focus on translational relevance, human-based model systems are increasingly seen as essential for improving decision-making across drug discovery and development. In this context, iXCells Biotechnologies and Rosebud Biosciences have announced a strategic partnership to integrate advanced 3D human organoid technologies into scalable induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) platforms.

The collaboration brings together iXCells’ established iPSCore platform with Rosebud’s expertise in automated, AI-powered organoid generation and characterization. By combining scalable iPSC differentiation with complex three-dimensional human tissue models, the partners aim to provide drug developers with more predictive systems for assessing tissue-specific toxicity, therapeutic response, and disease mechanisms, areas where traditional preclinical models often lack fidelity.

Tackling a key translational challenge

Rare disease drug development presents distinct challenges, including limited patient populations, biological heterogeneity, and high attrition rates driven by late-stage safety or efficacy failures. As a result, there is growing demand for patient-relevant human models that can help de-risk programmes earlier and guide translational decision-making.

Organoids have emerged as a powerful addition to the preclinical toolbox, offering the ability to recapitulate aspects of human tissue architecture and function. However, issues around scalability, reproducibility, and integration into drug development workflows have limited their broader adoption.

Through this partnership, Rosebud’s organoid platforms will be embedded within iXCells’ existing iPSC workflows, enabling access to standardized 3D human systems that can be deployed for screening, engineering, multi-omics profiling, and mechanism-of-action studies within a unified platform.

Expanding the iPSCore platform

For iXCells, the collaboration marks a strategic expansion of its modelling capabilities as the company scales its platform to support more complex and translationally focused programmes.

“Predicting human-specific safety and response earlier in development can have a significant impact on timelines and patient outcomes, particularly in rare diseases,” said Steve Smith, Chief Executive Officer of iXCells Biotechnologies.

The integrated offering is designed to deliver the consistency and scalability required by pharmaceutical and biotechnology partners, supporting drug safety assessment, tissue-specific response evaluation, and deeper interrogation of disease biology.

Scaling access to organoid technologies

For Rosebud Biosciences, the partnership provides a route to broaden access to its industrialized organoid systems. The company has focused on building automation- and AI-first platforms capable of generating large volumes of reproducible, clinically meaningful human tissue data.

“Our partnership with iXCells enables us to make advanced organoid systems more accessible to researchers who need models that better represent human biology,” said Kitch Wilson, CEO and Co-Founder of Rosebud Biosciences. “By combining complementary strengths, we can support deeper exploration of disease mechanisms and help drive the next generation of therapeutic discovery.”

Rosebud’s platform is designed for high-throughput applications, with the capacity to generate tens of thousands of organoids simultaneously, supporting safety and efficacy testing across multiple human organ systems.

Supporting the shift toward human-relevant models

The partnership reflects a broader industry shift toward predictive, patient-relevant human models aligned with regulatory and scientific momentum around New Approach Methodologies (NAMs). As developers seek to reduce reliance on animal models while improving translational confidence, integrated platforms that combine iPSCs, organoids, automation, and AI are expected to play an increasingly central role.

By uniting scalable stem cell technologies with complex 3D human biology, iXCells and Rosebud aim to help close the gap between in vitro models and clinical outcomes, particularly in rare disease programmes where early insight can be decisive.