Commercialization challenges associated with induced pluripotent stem cell-based products

Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells have generated excitement in the regenerative medicine industry. Products derived from iPS cells could be used in a range of drug discovery and development processes. These nontherapeutic products will continue to be launched over the next 5 years, and provide income and knowledge to drive the therapeutic use of iPS cells forward. While the commercial opportunity for iPS cell-based therapies is potentially large, the looming technical and scientific hurdles must be overcome and, thus, the launch of a therapy based on iPS cells is unlikely to occur until the 2020s. While the launch of a therapeutic is many years away, the business models for commercialization should be well understood and proven based on experience with other non-iPS cell-based therapies (both autologous and allogeneic) that will already be on the market.