First Stem Cell Batch Meets Approval

French stem cell company, TreeFrog Therapeutics (Bordeaux) has delivered a first batch of 143 million human IPS cells to Imagine Institute, a leading European centre for research, care and education in genetic diseases. The institute brings together 900 doctors, researchers and healthcare personnel in a creative architecture of synergies. Its original continuum of expertise combined with the proximity of patients allows Imagine to make discoveries to benefit patients.

While cell therapy research is booming, with over $7 billion (€6.2bn) in investments in 2018, stem cell production remains a critical bottleneck for the pharmaceutical industry. Human Induced Pluripotent Stem (IPS) cells, which are the raw material for cell therapies, are fragile and difficult to culture.

TreeFrog’s proprietary technology for stem cell culture reportedly enables mass production of stem cells with short lead times, while preserving genomic integrity. Imagine Institute provided highly qualified IPS cells to TreeFrog, which were amplified in only seven days. 

“This first batch demonstrated that the C-Stem technology is capable of delivering for a client with high standards,” said Maxime Feyeux, CSO and co-founder of TreeFrog Therapeutics. “More importantly, Imagine Institute showed that the genomic integrity of the batch was indistinguishable from the original cells. This means our technology preserves cell quality, which is instrumental for the development of cell therapies.”

“Having this first batch delivered and approved by Imagine Institute is a true milestone for us, it constitutes a strong argument for the development of cell therapies based on C-Stem, either in-house or through collaborations. We are aiming for a first-in-man clinical trial with our cells within three to five years,” said Kevin Alessandri, CTO and co-founder of TreeFrog Therapeutics.

“We are delighted with this first collaboration with TreeFrog Therapeutics,” said Nathalie Lefort, head of Imagine’s IPS platform. “Amplifying IPS cells is typically a long and labour-intensive process. Through this partnership, our teams can focus on their stem cell banking and research activities. Moreover, this first batch bodes well for the future. Both turnaround time and quality seem to open new avenues for therapeutic approaches.”