Cellular Intelligence, a biotechnology company with backing from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, announced it has acquired STEM-PD, a cell therapy candidate for Parkinson’s disease that was previously under development at Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk.
Novo Nordisk abandoned development of the candidate last October when it closed its cell therapy unit as part of a wider corporate restructuring. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed by the parties. According to Cellular Intelligence, Novo Nordisk will receive an equity stake in the biotech firm and could also be entitled to future milestone payments and royalties tied to the program.
STEM-PD is described as an allogeneic, stem cell-derived therapy intended to replace dopamine-producing nerve cells that are lost in Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s is a progressive neurological disorder that can cause tremors, muscle stiffness and slowed movement.
Cellular Intelligence said it will employ its proprietary artificial intelligence platform to accelerate clinical development of STEM-PD, scale up manufacturing processes and drive down costs. The company indicated that data generated from the program will be used to further train its AI models.
"It marks the beginning of an AI-native era for cell replacement therapy, one where biology is no longer destiny, but design," said Cellular Intelligence CEO Micha Breakstone.
The therapy is currently being evaluated in an early-to-mid stage clinical trial and has been granted fast-track designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, a regulatory status intended to speed review for treatments addressing serious conditions with unmet needs.
Cellular Intelligence has raised more than $60 million from investors that include Khosla Ventures and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, a philanthropic organization founded by Mark Zuckerberg.
Below are concise takeaways and considerations related to the transaction and its potential market and sector effects.