Two companies, Canada-based Sernova Corp. and Germany-based Medicyte announced last month that they have entered into a Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) to jointly evaluate the use of Medicyte’s upcyte® cells in Sernova’s Cell Pouch™ for the treatment of patients with hemophilia A.
Sernova, a clinical stage health-sciences company specializing in the commercialization of medical technologies, is developing a platform technology based on the Cell Pouch™, Sertolin™ and therapeutic cells, for a several chronic diseases including diabetes, parathyroid disease, Parkinson’s disease and hemophilia.
Medicyte is a life science company that specializes in the development of human primary cell products in unlimited quantities that are high quality.
In addition, the two companies entered into a nonbinding term sheet outlining the general terms of a collaboration for the pre-clinical and clinical development of the novel Cell Pouch™/upcyte® combination product for the treatment of hemophilia A. The parties intend to complete negotiations of a definitive agreement while initial research is being carried out under the terms of the MTA.
“We believe that Medicyte’s upcyte® cells being sheltered in Sernova’s Cell Pouch™ represent a promising combination of technologies to produce effective levels of Factor VIII, and to prevent excessive bleeding episodes of patients suffering hemophilia A,” said Joris Braspenning, CEO of Medicyte. “Together with Sernova, we are looking forward to evaluating the potential of a combined product.”
Source: Sernova news release dated September 10, 2013
