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)
2019-09-12
Update on the ongoing clinical trials
NextCell Pharma AB (NextCell) is today providing a status update regarding its two ongoing clinical trials, presented at the Nordic Life Science days in Malmö. All patients in ProTrans-1 were treated by June 2019 and 8 out of 9 patients in the dose escalation part have already left the trial after 12 months follow-up. The ProTrans-Repeat has included 5 out of 18 patients. NextCell is conducting two parallel clinical trials with the drug candidate ProTrans, with the aim to treat type-1 diabetes. A single dose of ProTrans is given and the patients own ability to produce insulin is compared
NextCell Pharma AB (NextCell) is today providing a status update regarding its two ongoing clinical trials, presented at the Nordic Life Science days in Malmö. All patients in ProTrans-1 were treated by June 2019 and 8 out of 9 patients in the dose escalation part have already left the trial afte...
Read moreRead more
2019-08-16
NextCell Pharma files another patent application
NextCell Pharma AB ("NextCell") today announces that they have filed a new patent application to the Swedish Patent and Registration Office. The patent relates to the Company's proprietary selection algorithm, now with extended and tailored analyses for diseases and conditions affecting the central nervous system. The application was submitted to the Swedish Patent and Registration Agency on August 15 and is formulated to cover the general production of all types of mesenchymal stem cell products derived from multiple donors and cells selected by the selection algorithm. Furthermore, the
NextCell Pharma AB ("NextCell") today announces that they have filed a new patent application to the Swedish Patent and Registration Office. The patent relates to the Company's proprietary selection algorithm, now with extended and tailored analyses for diseases and conditions affecting the centr...
Read moreRead more
2019-07-31
Interim report 2018-09-01 - 2019-05-31
Third quarter report By "NextCell", “NXTCL” or "Company" is meant NextCell Pharma AB with organization number 556965-8361. “Spotlight" refers to the Spotlight Stock Market (previous AktieTorget). Amount in brackets refer to the corresponding period in the previous year. Note that the Company's fiscal year is September 1 - August 31. This English version is a translation of the Swedish version. The Swedish version is at all time to be seen as the leading document. Nine months (2018-09-01 until 2019-05-31) · Operating income amounted to SEK 1 410 055 (527 545). · Operating result
Third quarter report By "NextCell", “NXTCL” or "Company" is meant NextCell Pharma AB with organization number 556965-8361. “Spotlight" refers to the Spotlight Stock Market (previous AktieTorget). Amount in brackets refer to the corresponding period in the previous year. Note that the Company's f...
Read moreRead more
2019-06-20
Final patient treated in the phase II part of the ProTrans-1 trial
NextCell Pharma AB (NextCell) today treated the last diabetic patient in the phase II part of the ProTrans-1 trial. This means that all patients included in the clinical study have been treated and are now subject to a 12-month follow-up period before efficacy and safety data will be available. The final patient has been treated in the randomized, placebo controlled ProTrans-1 phase II part trial. Efficacy and safety data will be collected through regular clinical assessments visits during a 12 month period. Last patient, last will be assessed in July 2020 and thereafter the code will be
NextCell Pharma AB (NextCell) today treated the last diabetic patient in the phase II part of the ProTrans-1 trial. This means that all patients included in the clinical study have been treated and are now subject to a 12-month follow-up period before efficacy and safety data will be available. T...
Read moreRead more
2019-06-20
New collaboration and increased digital presence - Cellaviva is gearing for growth
NextCell Pharma AB ("NextCell") today announces that they, via its biobank Cellaviva, have entered into a partnership with Bonzun Health Information AB ("Bonzun"), who are providing the first global health app for pregnant women. Bonzun has launched the first virtual midwife for pregnant women which can be downloaded in Appstores under the name Bonzun Pregnant. The app is currently available in 79 countries worldwide under the name Bonzun and in Sweden under the name Min Graviditet. The collaboration has been entered into with the common goal of strengthening the work of sharing knowledge
NextCell Pharma AB ("NextCell") today announces that they, via its biobank Cellaviva, have entered into a partnership with Bonzun Health Information AB ("Bonzun"), who are providing the first global health app for pregnant women. Bonzun has launched the first virtual midwife for pregnant women wh...
Read moreRead more
2019-06-19
NextCell has treated the first patient in the ProTrans-Repeat trial
NextCell Pharma AB (NextCell) announces that earlier today the first patient was treated as part of the ProTrans-Repeat trial, which is NextCell’s second clinical trial. ProTrans-Repeat is a Phase IIa clinical trial which includes patients receiving active treatment with ProTrans and who have previously been treated in the ProTrans-1 study's dose escalation phase. This means that the participants receive their second treatment with ProTrans, just over a year after the first. The goal of the ProTrans-Repeat trial is to test whether repeated treatment can increase or maintain the effect of
NextCell Pharma AB (NextCell) announces that earlier today the first patient was treated as part of the ProTrans-Repeat trial, which is NextCell’s second clinical trial. ProTrans-Repeat is a Phase IIa clinical trial which includes patients receiving active treatment with ProTrans and who have pre...
Read moreRead more
2019-06-11
Anders Essen-Möller subscribes to his entire stakes in NextCell Pharmas right issue
The two largest owners of NextCell Pharma AB (“NextCell” or “The Company”) Anders Essen-Möller and Diamyd Medical AB, fully subscribe for their respective shares in NextCells ongoing rights issue. This means that both parties consolidate their ownership interests and that Essen-Möllers ownership in NextCell after the investments increases from approximately SEK 3.6 million to 6.0 million. Regarding the ongoing rights issue in NextCell, the principal owner Anders Essen-Möller, also the chairman of the company, has chosen to fully utilize its allotted subscription rights, which means that he
The two largest owners of NextCell Pharma AB (“NextCell” or “The Company”) Anders Essen-Möller and Diamyd Medical AB, fully subscribe for their respective shares in NextCells ongoing rights issue. This means that both parties consolidate their ownership interests and that Essen-Möllers ownership ...
Read moreRead more
2019-06-05
Selected to participate in the EIT Health Start.Smart.Global (SSG) programme.
NextCell Pharma AB (publ) ("NextCell") has been chosen as one of a select group of companies to participate in the EIT Health Start.Smart.Global (SSG) programme. The programme focusses on helping European life science SMEs successful entries into Japan and South Korea. EIT Health is a Knowledge and Innovation Community established by the European Institute for Innovation & Technology (EIT) (https://eit.europa.eu/), an independent EU body set up to promote innovation and entrepreneurship across Europe. The EIT Health Start.Smart.Global (SSG) programme, helps European life science SMEs
NextCell Pharma AB (publ) ("NextCell") has been chosen as one of a select group of companies to participate in the EIT Health Start.Smart.Global (SSG) programme. The programme focusses on helping European life science SMEs successful entries into Japan and South Korea. EIT Health is a Knowledge a...
Read moreRead more