Glasgow, United Kingdom – Tuesday 3 February 2026 – Sistemic Ltd, a Glasgow-based advanced molecular diagnostics company specialising in stem cell characterisation, welcomed Richard Lochhead MSP, Minister for Business and Employment, to its facilities for a ministerial visit focused on Scotland’s role in advancing safe and effective cell and gene therapies.
The visit recognised Sistemic’s leading position in innovative technology development in the field of cell and gene therapy and came following the Minister’s interest in an agreement between the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult (CGT Catapult), the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA), Sistemic and a number of leading Cell Therapy companies.
The parties to the agreement are undertaking a multi-party consortium project (the “Re-Cell Consortium”) under which the CGT Catapult will work with the Participants (all organisations operating in the cell and gene therapy industry), MHRA and Sistemic to evaluate and qualify a residual induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) assay with applicability across a broad range of undifferentiated iPSC-derived cell types, with a view to eventually establishing this assay as an industry standard, as further described in this Agreement and the Project Plan.
iPSCs have the potential to make cell therapies a widely unable treatment and widely available as safe and effective treatments.
The Minister was accompanied by Dr Jacquiline Barry, Chief Clinical Officer at the CGT Catapult, and Dr Matt Smart, Lead Scientist at the CGT Catapult. Sistemic was represented by Jim Reid, Chairman and CEO, and Dr Liam Brennan, Vice President of Scientific Research.
The Minister was interested to learn of the groundbreaking nature of the project and spent time talking with the group about the potential impact of cell therapies and the potential for this project to drive wider use of these potentially transformative therapies.
Business and Employment Minister Richard Lochhead said:
“Scotland’s Life Sciences sector is one of the country’s most innovative, high-growth industries. It is also spearheading vitally important advancements in healthcare both at home and across the globe.
“I was pleased to visit Sistemic Ltd and learn more about plans for the Re-Cell Consortium, which has the potential to deliver a real step change in how transformational cell therapies can be accessed.”
Dr Barry from the CGT Catapult stated: “There is a thriving cell therapy sector in Scotland, driven by companies such as Sistemic and its work ensuring cell therapies are safe and effective. We are grateful for the opportunity to discuss this sector and its potential to both improve health and contribute to economic growth with Minister Lochhead.”
Mr. Reid said that the visit was a great boost for Sistemic and a recognition of the leading role the company was playing in the development of essential quality and safety diagnostics for an industry which held such promise in curing currently untreatable diseases.
About the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult
Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult is an independent innovation and technology organisation committed to the advancement of the cell and gene therapy industry with a vision of a thriving industry delivering life changing advanced therapies to the world. Its aim is to create powerful collaborations which overcome challenges to the advancement of the sector. Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult works with Innovate UK. For more information, please visit https://ct.catapult.org.uk/ or https://www.ukri.org/councils/innovate-uk/.
Contact: Alice Deeley, Senior Communications Manager, alice.deeley@ct.catapult.org.uk / Marketbridge cgtcatapult@marketbridge.com[AD2]
Sistemic Scotland Ltd
2317 Maryhill Road, Block 3, Unit 3/4
Glasgow, G20 0SP
0141 946 9682
info@sistemic.co.uk