Eight-Year-Old Hugo – Living with Type 1 Diabetes and Participating in the ProTrans Study

May 15, 2025

NextCell Pharma AB ("NextCell") is featured in the Future Healthcare – Focus on Diabetes supplement of the Swedish national newspaper Svenska Dagbladet, through an article highlighting eight-year-old Hugo Wahlbeck, who is currently enrolled in the ongoing paediatric study with ProTrans – the Company’s leading investigational therapy for the treatment of type 1 diabetes.

The article, written in collaboration with the patient advocacy group Together Against Diabetes 1 (T.A.D.1), recounts Hugo and his family’s journey since his diagnosis in October 2024 and their experience participating in the clinical trial. Although the family does not know whether Hugo received ProTrans or placebo, they describe a life change for the better, with stable blood sugar levels, reduced anxiety, and significantly fewer night time alarms.

“We even have 24-hour periods without a single alarm,” Hugo’s mother Anna shares in the article.

ProTrans is an allogeneic cell therapy based on mesenchymal stromal cells derived from umbilical cord tissue and administered as a single intravenous infusion. The goal is to halt disease progression and preserve the patient’s endogenous insulin production. Previous clinical trials in adults have demonstrated that patients receiving ProTrans maintain significantly higher levels of insulin production compared to placebo, with effects lasting for at least five years.

The ongoing paediatric trial, ProTrans-Young, is sponsored by Uppsala University with Professor Per-Ola Carlsson as the principal investigator. For more information (in Swedish), please visit: nextcellpharma.com/studie

The article is attached to this press release and is also available in full at nextcellpharma.com, SvD Vårdfokus Diabetes. The space in the newspaper supplement was funded by NextCell, but the content was produced by an independent writer in collaboration with T.A.D.1.

For more information about NextCell Pharma, please contact
Mathias Svahn, CEO
Patrik Fagerholm, CFO
Tel: +46 8 735 55 95
E-mail: info@nextcellpharma.com
Website:www.nextcellpharma.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/NextCell-Pharma
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NextCellPharma


For more information about Cellaviva, please contact
Sofie Falk Jansson, CEO Cellaviva AB
Tel: +46 8 735 20 10
E-mail: info@cellaviva.se
Website:www.cellaviva.se


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cellavivasverige
Instagram: https://www,instagram.com/cellaviva

Certified Adviser
The company's shares are listed on the Nasdaq First North Growth Market.
RedEye AB is assigned as Certified Adviser.

About NextCell Pharma AB
NextCell Pharma is a clinical-stage cell therapy company developing ProTrans, a patent-protected platform based on allogeneic mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) from umbilical cord. Using a proprietary selection algorithm, ProTrans delivers optimised cell tailored to specific indications.  In type 1 diabetes, a single infusion has been shown to preserve insulin production and delay disease progression for at least five years.  A Phase III trial is planned to commence upon securing a commercial partner. ProTrans is also being evaluated for other autoimmune and inflammatory conditions. NextCell’s subsidiaries include Cellaviva, Scandinavia’s largest private stem cell bank, and QVance, the Nordic region’s first dedicated provider of quality services for developers of advanced therapies.

Download attachmentRead full press release on Cision (external link)
2022-05-24
NextCell invited to speak at Advance Therapies Congress in London
NextCell Pharma AB (“NextCell”) present the ongoing clinical trial program with the lead cell therapy drug candidate, ProTrans, at the Advanced Therapies Congress in London on May 24th-25th. The presentation will be given by NextCell’s CEO, Dr. Mathias Svahn on Wednesday.
Read moreRead more
2022-04-28
NextCell Pharma publishes Interim Report 2 2021/2022
NextCell Pharma AB (publ) (NXTCL or NextCell) publishes its Interim Report 2 for the period September 1, 2021 – February 28, 2022 The report is available on the company’s website: https://www.nextcellpharma.com/en/investors#financial-report. NextCells share is traded on Nasdaq First North Growth M
Read moreRead more
2022-04-26
NextCell is attending a conference for worldleading celltherapies
NextCell Pharma AB ("NextCell" or the"Company") is attending the International Society for Cell and Gene Therapy 2022 in San Francisco, May 4-7. The company is represented by Mathias Svahn, CEO who is a member of the Business Development and Finance Committee will participate in workshops, round t
Read moreRead more
2022-04-07
First age group treated in paediatric diabetes study with ProTrans
NextCell Pharma AB ("NextCell") today announces that all three children in the age group 12-18 years have been treated with ProTrans. Professor Per-Ola Carlsson and the study team are now moving forward with younger patients, three children in the age group 7-11 years.
Read moreRead more
2022-04-01
Cellaviva delivers stem cells to treat serious blood disease
NextCell Pharma AB ("NextCell" or the ”Company”) announces that the stem cell bank Cellaviva has released umbilical cord blood stem cells to Rigshospitalet, Denmark's leading hospital.
Read moreRead more
2022-02-22
The Canadian ProTrans in COVID-19 single center trial is expanded to a multicenter trial
NextCell Pharma AB (“NextCell”) today announces that the clinical trial ProTrans19+CA expanded to include an additional site: the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal, Canada.  The hospital is one of the largest in Canada and is affiliated with the trial Sponsor, the Research Institute of McGill University Health Center. Patient enrolment increased due to the omicron variant, which we envisage will be further enhanced by patient reqruitment at both sites, the Royal Victoria and Jewish General Hospital. The coronavirus pandemic has transformed over time and omicron has shown to be more
NextCell Pharma AB (“NextCell”) today announces that the clinical trial ProTrans19+CA expanded to include an additional site: the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal, Canada.  The hospital is one of the largest in Canada and is affiliated with the trial Sponsor, the Research Institute of McGill U...
Read moreRead more
2022-02-21
Pediatric diabetes study with ProTrans in progress
NextCell Pharma AB ("NextCell") has previously announced a clinical trial with ProTrans™ to treat children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes. The study recently started with screening of patients. Before treatment, patients are followed for about a month and the first adolescents will soon undergo treatment. The first part of the study is a safety part (phase Ib) where all patients are treated at Akademiska university hospital. 3 patients aged 12-18 years receive treatment first and there after 3 patients aged 7-11 years. The data will then be reviewed by the Data Safety Monitoring Board,
NextCell Pharma AB ("NextCell") has previously announced a clinical trial with ProTrans™ to treat children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes. The study recently started with screening of patients. Before treatment, patients are followed for about a month and the first adolescents will soon und...
Read moreRead more
2022-02-18
NextCell Pharma presents at Redeye Theme: Regenerative Medicine/Cell Therapy
On February 23rd at 10.40 CET Dr. Mathias Svahn, CEO of NextCell Pharma AB (“NextCell" or the"Company"), will present the latest developments in the company at Redeye. The presentation is live broadcasted and can be followed at https://www.redeye.se/events/825130/redeye-theme-regenerative-medicine-cell-therapy where the replay and the presentations will be available afterwards.
On February 23rd at 10.40 CET Dr. Mathias Svahn, CEO of NextCell Pharma AB (“NextCell" or the"Company"), will present the latest developments in the company at Redeye. The presentation is live broadcasted and can be followed at https://www.redeye.se/events/825130/redeye-theme-regenerative-medici...
Read moreRead more