NextCell Pharma AB announced a joint venture together with their long- term collaborator and contract manufacture organisation, Polski Bank Komórek Macierzystych (PBKM, FamiCord Group). FamiCordTx has exclusively licensed a patent pending CAR-T technology and the tech transfer is completed, and the production of CAR-T cell therapy is awaiting ATMP manufacturing approval before production of CAR-T for clinical trial use can be started. NextCell is a cell therapy company with focus on accessible and highly potent stem cells derived from umbilical cord tissue and blood, comprising mesenchymal and hematopoietic cells.

NextCell's main asset is the selection algorithm, a platform technology to define and manufacture highly potent mesenchymal st cell- based therapies. The primary drug candidate, ProTrans, is currently clinically evaluated for treatment of type- 1 diabtetes and SARS-CoV-2 induced servere pneumonia. The founders and members of the NextCell management team have vast experience in gene therapy.

Professor Smith has a longstanding interest in this field and is heading one of the most experienced research groups at Karolinska Institutet with focus on gene therapy and CEO, Mathias Svahn, defended his doctoral thesis in the same subject. NextCell have experience in conducting and procure late phase cell therapy clinical trials. The company has attracted internationally recognized ATMP specialists and are collabrorating with top ranked medical universities such as Karolinska Institutet and McGill University.

PBKM (FamiCord Group) is the contracted manufacturer of NextCells drug product ProTrans and have vast experience of both production and logistics of cell therapies. PBKM (FamiCord Group) has the infrastructure, know-how, people and most of necessary accreditations and permissions required for manufacturing of clinical grade cell and gene therapies. CAR-T technology is next step in becoming full profile contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO).