ProTrans cell therapy to be granted patent protection beyond Europe

August 25, 2022

NextCell Pharma AB ("NextCell" or the "Company") today announces that the Japan Patent Office (JPO) has issued a notice of allowance relating to the patent entitled "Allogeneic Composition" (publication number JP2020543858A). The patent describes the method of manufacturing the drug candidate ProTrans, where the selection algorithm is key for selecting optimal cells and donors.  Patent protection is valid until 2039.

The selection algorithm consists of a method for selecting cells with a suitable immunomodulatory effect that are assessed by a panel of different analyses. The algorithm makes an overall assessment of several functional analyses to identify optimal donors and cells for the manufacture of cell therapies. NextCell's accurate and advanced selection method has a scalable capability and guarantees high reproducibility and efficacy compared to other applications in cell therapy. The careful selection method results in consistently high-quality cells and hence a strong safety profile with few side effects.

 

"Japan is leading the cell therapy and stem cells field, thus protection in this region is important." says CEO Mathias Svahn.

 

ProTrans is NextCell's first drug candidate based on the selection algorithm. It is an allogeneic cell therapy which means that donated cells, not the patient's own, are used.  The cells are extracted from donated umbilical cord tissue and the cells are then multiplied to generate large amounts of cells.

 

Clinical trials in type-1 diabetes have shown promising results for ProTrans to stop the course of the disease for 1 year in adult patients, potentially longer. Ongoing trials are now evaluating efficacy in adolescents and children newly diagnosed with type-1 diabetes. In addition, clinical trials are ongoing with patients with severe pneumonia due to COVID-19 infection, in Sweden and Canada.

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, 08-528 00 399, info@fnca.se.

About NextCell Pharma AB

NextCell is a phase II cell therapy company with the drug candidate ProTrans for the treatment of type 1 diabetes. The focus is to take ProTrans to market approval via a Phase III study. ProTrans is in addition to diabetes, used in two clinical trials for Covid-19, in Örebro and Montreal (Canada). The company is in the processes of establishing its own GMP facility for production of ProTrans. The GMP facility is expected to be ready for production of smaller quantities of ProTrans in 2023. NextCell furthermore owns 10% in FamicordTX, a CAR-T start-up in oncology and 100 % of Cellaviva, Scandinavia's largest stem cell bank for family saving stem cells from umbilical cord blood and umbilical cord tissue with permission from the Swedish Health and Social Care Inspectorate (IVO).
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2025-05-23
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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, 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 ("NextCell" or the "Company") issued a total of 38,711,804 warrants of series TO2 (“Warrants”) within the framework of a rights issue of units during the second quarter of 2024. The exercise period for the Warrants runs until and including 30 May 2025. One (1) Warrant entitles the holder to subscribe for one (1) new share in the Company at a subscription price of SEK 1.00 per share. NextCell today announces that the Company has received declarations of intent from all of the Company’s senior executives and Board members who hold Warrants and subscription undertakings from a selection of existing Warrant holders regarding the exercise of held Warrants, totalling approximately SEK 6.9 million, corresponding to approximately 17.8 percent of the total number of outstanding Warrants. In addition, the Company has secured top guarantees from a selection of existing Warrant holders and shareholders as well as external investors corresponding to an additional approximately 30 percent of the total issue volume. The top guarantees, together with the received declarations of intent and subscription undertakings, ensure that the Company will receive minimum proceeds of approximately SEK 18.5 million, corresponding to approximately 47.8 percent of the total issue volume.
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