Funding Takes Therapy to Clinical Stage Planning

SBRI Healthcare, the NHS England funded initiative championed by the Academic Health Science Network (AHSN), has awarded Mogrify$1.1M of Phase II funding to assess its regenerative cartilage therapy for the treatment of cartilage defects, osteoarthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions, before entering clinical trials. Phase I funding earlier this year enable the company to identify the transcription factors and culture conditions required to convert various cell types into healthy mature chondrocytes, through use of its data-driven direct cellular conversion technology.

Dr Karin Schmitt, CBO, Mogrify, said: “We select projects strategically based on both commercial and scientific considerations and are delighted with the progress of this collaboration with Dr Wael Kafienah’s laboratory at the University of Bristol. The continued support for our lead musculoskeletal asset from SBRI Healthcare has not only allowed us to reach this phase but will enable us to carry the chondrocyte conversions through to the next stage.”

Pierre-Louis Joffrin, Corporate Development Executive, Mogrify, said: “Osteoarthritis is the most common joint disorder and with current treatments focused only on addressing the symptoms, there is a huge unmet medical need. Through this additional funding from the NHS England initiative, we will be able to take the project through the efficacy and safety studies necessary to see it make a difference to patients as we now start planning for the clinical stages of the development.”