CQDM invests in Montreal-based regenerative medicine company, Morphocell Technologies
CQDM invests in Montreal-based regenerative medicine company, Morphocell Technologies, to support the development of innovative therapies for acute liver failure
Montréal – Québec – July 7 – CQDM is proud to announce an investment of $260,100 in Morphocell Technologies, a Montréal- based early-stage regenerative medicine company focused on the development of stem cell-derived engineered liver tissue to treat liver disease. Founded in 2018 to develop ReLiver®, a highly innovative platform technology which has shown immense promise in animal models to restore liver function, treat complications and accelerate liver regeneration, Morphocell has the potential to revolutionize the treatment of liver failure and save patient lives.
CQDM’s investment was made as part of a $979,200 Quantum Leap project co-funded by CQDM, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, and Morphocell, along with support from the Stem Cell Network (SCN). This funding will enable Morphocell to generate preclinical efficacy and safety data in large animals for ReLiver®ELT, a critical step to further demonstrate its potential as a life-saving treatment for acute liver failure and an important milestone to allow Morphocell to secure a Series A financing to support its journey toward a first-in-human clinical trial.
ReLiver®ELT is an allogeneic cell therapy product composed of stem-cell derived liver tissue encapsulated within a finely tailored biomaterial recreating the physical environment of the liver. ReLiver®ELT is implanted via minimally invasive surgery and does not require co-treatment with immunosuppressive agents creating an “off-the-shelf” product with a unique safety profile.
“Our investment in Morphocell is a great example of how CQDM is able to fill a funding gap for young promising companies, allowing them to generate key proof of concept data to de-risk their technology and enable future fund raisings,” said Jesse Paterson, Senior Director, Business Development at CQDM.
“This funding from CQDM and Takeda will allow us to confirm the efficacy and safety of ReLiver®ELT in a large animal model of acute liver failure. The data we will collect thanks to this investment are crucial to advance this revolutionary treatment towards the clinical phases, bringing it a step closer to the thousands of adults and children that every year suffer from severe acute liver failure” said Dr. Massimiliano Paganelli, co-founder and CEO of Morphocell Technologies and pediatric hepatologist and scientist at Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine.
About CQDM
CQDM is a biopharmaceutical research consortium whose mission is to fund the development of innovative tools and technologies that will accelerate the discovery and development of safer and more effective drugs. We bring together world-class pharmaceutical corporations, several Canadian biotech companies, the best scientists from both the public and private sectors, as well as the Canadian and Québec governments. CQDM’s collaborative approach bridges the funding gap needed to drive innovation across the academic and private sectors, especially where early-stage research is concerned. For more information – Website: www.cqdm.org, LinkedIn and Twitter.
About Morphocell
Morphocell Technologies is a Montreal-based preclinical regenerative medicine company focused on the commercialization of innovative stem cell therapies aimed at treating severe liver disease. Morphocell is developing an extensive therapeutic platform based on its allogeneic pluripotent stem cell-derived engineered liver tissues. Website: www.morphocell.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.