Breakthrough multiplication of blood stem cells

April 26, 2023

NextCell Pharma AB (“NextCell” or the “company") announces that the FDA has approved a product of multiplied stem cells from umbilical cord blood. It is a breakthrough that could lead to increased interest in saving stem cells for private use, where Cellaviva is the market leader in Scandinavia. Cellaviva is a part of NextCell with offices in Stockholm and Copenhagen.

On April 17, 2023, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first product with expanded stem cells from umbilical cord blood. In the clinical trial that led to the approval, the number of stem cells was expanded an average of 60 times by cell culture.

"Multiplication or expansion of blood-forming stem cells is a significant achievement. The new method opens the door for the use of even smaller collections of cord blood in clinical practice." says Professor Edvard Smith, Medical Director of NextCell Pharma and Cellaviva.

Stem cells from umbilical cord blood have been used in healthcare for the treatment of over 80 different conditions, such as leukaemias, lymphoma and sickle cell anaemia, for more than 30 years. It has also been shown that in regenerative medicine, treatment with stem cells from umbilical cord blood provides clinical benefits for patients. More than 60,000 patients have already been treated with umbilical cord blood.

In addition to the above-mentioned already approved therapies, over 3,000 research studies are currently underway in various fields around the world to discover the full potential of stem cells. Umbilical cord blood is the source of the youngest, most powerful and most readily available stem cells. They can also be easily collected and stored after birth, to be used later in life. Due to the limited blood volume and number of stem cells isolated from umbilical cord blood; critics have pointed out that an average unit of umbilical cord blood is only sufficient for patients weighing up to 40-50 kg. The FDA's groundbreaking decision to approve expanded, also known as multiplied, umbilical cord blood means that this restriction is no longer a concern.

The product approved by the FDA is manufactured by Gamida under the name Omisirge (also known as omidubicel or NiCord).

Link to FDA press release:
https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-cell-therapy-patients-blood-cancers-reduce-risk-infection-following-stem-cell

Link to the scientific article about the study:
https://doi.org/10.1182/blood.2021011719

For more information about NextCell Pharma, please contact
Mathias Svahn, CEO
Patrik Fagerholm, CFO
Tel: +46 8 735 5595
E-mail: info@nextcellpharma.com

Websites:
NextCell Pharma AB: www.nextcellpharma.com
Cellaviva Sverige: www.cellaviva.se
Cellaviva Danmark: www.cellaviva.dk

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/15255207/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NextCellPharma

Certified Adviser
FNCA Sweden AB is assigned as Certified Adviser, info@fnca.se.

About NextCell Pharma AB

NextCell is a cell therapy company in clinical phase II. The company has developed a proprietary and patented platform technology to produce mesenchymal stromal cells adapted for allogeneic treatment of various autoimmune and immunological diseases. The drug candidate ProTrans is now being tested for the treatment of type-1 diabetes as well as respiratory complications caused by Sars-CoV-2 infection. The focus is to take ProTrans to market approval for type-1 diabetes via a phase III study. ProTrans is evaluated in two clinical COVID-19 studies, in Sweden and Canada. NextCell is working on completing its own GMP facility for the manufacture of ProTrans. The GMP facility is expected to be ready for manufacturing smaller quantities of ProTrans in 2023. NextCell also owns 8.5% of FamicordTX, a start-up company in CAR-T and oncology, and 100% of Cellaviva, Scandinavia's largest stem cell bank for family savings of stem cells from umbilical cord blood and umbilical cord tissue with permission from the Swedish Health and Social Care Inspectorate (IVO)

Download attachmentRead full press release on Cision (external link)
2024-06-11
The Board of Directors and management sign in addition to subscription commitments
NextCell Pharma AB (publ) ("NextCell" or the "Company") carries out a rights issue of units of up to approximately SEK 40.1 million, which is covered to approximately 100 percent by subscription and guarantee commitments. The company's Board of Directors, management and key employees, who have previously entered into subscription commitments of up to a total of approximately SEK 1.5 million, have now announced that they will register their interest in subscribing for units for a total of approximately SEK 3.3 million, corresponding to 8.2 percent of the rights issue.
Read moreRead more
2024-06-10
NextCell publishes supplement to the prospectus regarding the rights issue
THIS PRESS RELEASE MAY NOT BE RELEASED, PUBLISHED OR DISTRIBUTED, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AUSTRALIA, JAPAN, NEW ZEALAND, SINGAPORE, SOUTH AFRICA, SOUTH KOREA, SWITZERLAND, CANADA, HONG KONG, BELARUS, RUSSIA OR IN ANY OTHER JURISDICTION WHERE SUCH RELEASE, PUBLISHING OR DISTRIBUTION OF THIS PRESS RELEASE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL OR REQUIRE REGISTATION OR OTHER MEASURES IN ADDITION TO THOSE REQUIRED BY SWEDISH LAW. SEE SECTION ”IMPORTANT INFORMATION” AT THE END OF THIS PRESS RELEASE. NextCell Pharma AB (publ) (”NextCell” or the “Company”) has today published a supplement (the “Supplement”) to the EU Growth prospectus, which was approved and registered by the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority and published on 30 May 2024 (the “Prospectus”). The Supplement has been prepared due to the fact that the Company on 4 June 2024 announced through a press release that the Company had agreed to a so-called top guarantee of a total of approximately SEK 8.0 million in the ongoing rights issue of units in the Company (the “Rights Issue”).
Read moreRead more
2024-06-05
Cellaviva becomes an independent company under NextCell Pharma
Cellaviva, the stem cell bank operated by NextCell Pharma AB, has announced its transition to an independent company. This strategic move will enable Cellaviva to further focus on its core mission of providing expectant parents with the opportunity to preserve and store valuable stem cells collected from the placenta and umbilical cord. These cells, which would otherwise be discarded post-birth, offer significant potential for future medical treatments and therapies.
Read moreRead more
2024-06-04
NextCell procures top guarantee in ongoing rights issue
THIS PRESS RELEASE MAY NOT BE RELEASED, PUBLISHED OR DISTRIBUTED, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AUSTRALIA, JAPAN, NEW ZEALAND, SINGAPORE, SOUTH AFRICA, SOUTH KOREA, SWITZERLAND, CANADA, HONG KONG, BELARUS, RUSSIA OR IN ANY OTHER JURISDICTION WHERE SUCH RELEASE, PUBLISHING OR DISTRIBUTION OF THIS PRESS RELEASE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL OR REQUIRE REGISTATION OR OTHER MEASURES IN ADDITION TO THOSE REQUIRED BY SWEDISH LAW. SEE SECTION ”IMPORTANT INFORMATION” AT THE END OF THIS PRESS RELEASE. NextCell Pharma AB (publ) ("NextCell" or the "Company") announces that the Company has agreed to a so-called top guarantee of a total of approximately SEK 8.0 million, corresponding to approximately 20.0 percent of the transaction, from qualified investors in the Company's ongoing rights issue of units of up to approximately SEK 40.1 million before issue costs, in which the subscription period commenced on 31 May 2024 (the "Rights Issue"). With the addition of the top guarantee, the Rights Issue is now covered up to approximately 100 percent by subscription undertakings and guarantee commitments.
Read moreRead more
2024-05-31
The subscription period in NextCell’s rights issue commences today
THIS PRESS RELEASE MAY NOT BE RELEASED, PUBLISHED OR DISTRIBUTED, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AUSTRALIA, JAPAN, NEW ZEALAND, SINGAPORE, SOUTH AFRICA, SOUTH KOREA, SWITZERLAND, CANADA, HONG KONG, BELARUS, RUSSIA OR IN ANY OTHER JURISDICTION WHERE SUCH RELEASE, PUBLISHING OR DISTRIBUTION OF THIS PRESS RELEASE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL OR REQUIRE REGISTATION OR OTHER MEASURES IN ADDITION TO THOSE REQUIRED BY SWEDISH LAW. SEE SECTION ”IMPORTANT INFORMATION” AT THE END OF THIS PRESS RELEASE.   Today, 31 May 2024, the subscription period in NextCell Pharma AB (publ)’s (“NextCell” or the “Company”) rights issue of units, which was announced on 24 April 2024 (the “Rights Issue”), commences. The subscription period in the Rights Issue runs until 14 June 2024. Please note, however, that nominees may have a final response date for subscription in the Rights Issue that falls before 14 June 2024.
Read moreRead more
2024-05-30
NextCell publishes prospectus in connection with the rights issue of units of approximately SEK 40.1 million
THIS PRESS RELEASE MAY NOT BE RELEASED, PUBLISHED OR DISTRIBUTED, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AUSTRALIA, JAPAN, NEW ZEALAND, SINGAPORE, SOUTH AFRICA, SOUTH KOREA, SWITZERLAND, CANADA, HONG KONG, BELARUS, RUSSIA OR IN ANY OTHER JURISDICTION WHERE SUCH RELEASE, PUBLISHING OR DISTRIBUTION OF THIS PRESS RELEASE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL OR REQUIRE REGISTATION OR OTHER MEASURES IN ADDITION TO THOSE REQUIRED BY SWEDISH LAW. SEE SECTION ”IMPORTANT INFORMATION” AT THE END OF THIS PRESS RELEASE. NextCell Pharma AB (publ) (”NextCell” or the “Company”) has prepared an EU Growth prospectus (the “Prospectus”) in connection with the Company’s forthcoming issue of units consisting of shares and warrants with preferential rights for existing shareholders (the “Rights Issue”), which was resolved by the Board of Directors on 24 April 2024 and approved by the Extraordinary General Meeting on 27 May 2024.
Read moreRead more
2024-05-28
Single treatment with ProTrans demonstrates long-term therapeutic effect over 5 years
NextCell Pharma AB ("NextCell" or the "Company") today announces that patients who were treated with a single dose of ProTrans five years ago in the randomized, placebo-controlled phase II study ProTrans-2 have retained significantly higher endogenous insulin production than patients who received placebo. ProTrans treated patients maintained 57% of their endogenous insulin production compared to 15% in the placebo group. The results are in line with NextCell’s previously reported three year data and demonstrates that ProTrans offers a disease-modifying treatment with long-lasting clinically relevant effect.
Read moreRead more
2024-05-27
Bulletin from the Extraordinary General Meeting of NextCell Pharma AB (publ)
At the Extraordinary General Meeting of NextCell Pharma AB (publ) (“NextCell” or the “company”) on 27 May 2024, the following resolutions were made. All resolutions were in accordance with the proposals presented, which are described in detail in the general meeting documents available on the company’s website, www.nextcellpharma.com.
Read moreRead more