Tebubio & Belgian Red Cross join forces to bring EU-Origin hPL to the scientific commmunity

This partnership offers researchers, biotechnology companies, and teams engaged in translational research and GMP manufacturing for clinical development access to an ethically sourced, fully traceable, and regulatory-secure, xeno-free hPL solution in a market where many suppliers rely on non-European platelet material. By combining the Belgian Red Cross’s expertise as a national blood establishment with Tebubio’s long-standing experience in supporting life science research and biomanufacturing across Europe, the partners create a strong bridge between ethically sourced human materials and their effective use in advanced therapeutic development.

A Partnership Built on Shared Values

Donald van Dijk, Chief Executive Officer at Tebubio, comments: “Providing ethically sourced, clinically aligned, and high-performance solutions is central to Tebubio’s mission. Partnering with the Belgian Red Cross allows us to offer secure hPL to laboratories and manufacturing teams across Europe.”

Philippe Vandekerckhove, CEO of Belgian Red Cross Flanders, adds: “As a national blood establishment, we are committed to safe, traceable, and high-quality human-derived materials. Through Tebubio’s pan-European network, we can now make our hPL available to a broader scientific and biomanufacturing community.”

Together, Tebubio and the Belgian Red Cross share a clear ambition: to provide a safe, consistent, and ethical hPL solution supporting the full development continuum.

Enabling Research, Translation, and Clinical Manufacturing

This partnership directly supports day-to-day scientific practice by providing access to a xeno-free alternative to fetal bovine serum (FBS), with demonstrated performance across mesenchymal stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, T cells, NK cells, organoids, and engineered tissues. By offering a human-derived, xeno-free supplement, this collaboration directly aligns with the principles of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) and the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement). It supports the transition toward more ethical and human-relevant research models, in line with the expectations of European research institutions, funding bodies, and regulators. Produced by a certified European blood establishment, this hPL meets European ethical, safety, and traceability requirements, helping to reduce regulatory and import complexity. Direct control over platelet resources enables long-term supply of large homogeneous batches that support reproducibility and GMP-aligned scale-up, while avoiding dependence on overseas donor material. 

Belgian Red Cross / Belgische Rode Kruis

The Belgian Red Cross is a leading independent humanitarian organisation in Belgium and a member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, founded in 1864. It operates through a nationwide network of volunteers and professionals providing emergency relief, disaster response, first aid training, social support, and community services. In addition to its public health missions, the Belgian Red Cross is involved in the collection and processing of blood-derived products and provides Human Platelet Lysate (HPL), a human-derived supplement used for the expansion of human cells in research and cell therapy applications, supporting New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) and animal-free research strategies.

Contact : Piet Jamaels – Head of Business Development - piet.jamaels@rodekruis.be  

About Tebubio

Tebubio facilitates Life Sciences Research every day, contributing to advance Science for a brighter future. Through our local offices located across Europe, we support Life Sciences and Biotechnology Researchers with a unique, holistic range of solutions enabling them to access cutting-edge solutions sourced from reputed global Life Sciences suppliers, carefully selected by our Scientific Team for their relevance and evaluated for their ethical and legal compliance.

Contact : Cyrielle Delafoy, Corporate Communications - marketing@tebubio.com