Theracell

In the new era of human genetics and biotechnology, personalized medicine is one of the most sought-after sectors. The most revolutionary advancement of this era is Cell & Gene Therapies (CGTs), which are at the forefront of innovation in treating severe & rare diseases and providing transformative benefits in patient responses. Significant growth is anticipated in the size of sophisticated novel products entering the CGTs therapy market. However, a slew of manufacturing and operational challenges and a lack of manufacturing capacity hinder efficiency and limit the production of these therapies. The escalating prices of CGTs stemming from the manufacturing challenges is making the scenario worse as it raises the big question of whether the hospitals and the patients will be able to access and afford therapies in the future. Theracell, a prominent biotechnology company, is rewriting this industry narrative.

Established in 2013, Theracell specializes in developing and commercializing innovative CGTs. The company develops an extensive pipeline of advanced CGTs, actively catering to individual patient needs. The therapeutic areas of Theracell comprise orthopaedics, dermatology and nephrology.

Today, Theracell has two therapies in clinical phase, one for the treatment of osteoarthritis and another for chondral defects. Cartil-S is a cell therapy based on autologous mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and their immunosuppressive properties, indicated for cartilage defects of degenerative origin. Chondroseal is a Gel-Type autologous chondrocytes implantation, composed of autologous chondrocytes, combined with a special scaffold for local cartilage regeneration in the joint.

Two more therapies are under development. An innovative cell therapy for atopic dermatitis which utilizes cells in combination with synthetic exosomes that act as targeted delivery-vehicles and a first in class therapy..

We are developing novel CGTs therapies targeting unmet medical needs while through strategic partnerships we are offering innovative manufacturing methods making therapies accessible and affordable to all

For chronic kidney disease based on the sectetome of autologous MSCs to protect/repair the damaged kidney and thus, to delay patient entry to Hemodialysis.

“In parallel, we are developing innovative manufacturing methods through strategic partnerships to improve patient outcomes while decreasing the price,” says Fotis Sakellaridis, CEO of Theracell.

Theracell is partnering with Orgenesis, a leading global biotech company focused on CGTs and novel manufacturing methods. The partnership aims to improve the accessibility to CGTs and address the market challenges through the establishment of the point-of-care (POCare) platform at hospitals and medical institutions.

The POC are platform includes novel technologies and increased automation in the manufacturing process. “We implement these novel technologies on a small, autonomous manufacturing units, which can operate close to hospitals. With this new decentralized manufacturing model, all logistic challenges can be eliminated while a substantial cost reduction can be achieved through improved production efficiency, ” explains Sakellaridis.

Highlighting the complexities of CGTs therapies and how Theracell efficaciously handling those, Sakellaridis refers to a very simple, low cost method that Theracell developed for the sample collection of adipose derived MSCs. The method is a minimally invasive intervention based on a small punch biopsy replacing the commonly used but costly and discomfortable for the patient, liposuction. This constitutes a substantial improvement in patient compliance, management and finances.

From the beginning of its journey, Theracell has made earnest efforts to develop forth novel therapies and efficient manufacturing processes. “However, our vision is to make the advanced therapies accessible and affordable for all,” concludes Sakellaridis.