Research & Development Programs

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the pharmaceutical industry focused almost exclusively on small molecule drugs to treat diseases. The 1980s and 1990s witnessed the era of genetic engineering, resulting in the development of innovative biologics, as well as the development of new tools to identify small molecule drugs. These transformational technologies helped start the biotechnology industry. As we enter the “Century of the Cell,” the advent of stem cell engineering offers the potential to produce cellular replacement disease-modifying treatments and possible cures for many debilitating, degenerative disorders, including diabetes and cancer.

Novocell was formed in 1999 by acquiring the assets and liabilities of Neocrin Company. In 2004 Novocell, Inc. merged with stem cell companies, CyThera, Inc. and Bresagen, Inc.

Novocell’s primary therapeutic target is diabetes and its proprietary technology platform has the potential to provide a renewable supply of functional human insulin producing cells for the treatment of diabetes, thereby overcoming the major obstacle of islet supply.

• Demonstrated, in small and large animal studies, that encapsulated cells are protected from immune rejection after implantation, enabling the development of a new therapy for major diseases such as diabetes
• Demonstrated preliminary evidence of safety and function in a Phase I / II proof-of-principle clinical trial in patients with type 1 diabetes using encapsulated primary islets
• Established six human ES cell lines including a clinical grade line
• First worldwide to develop definitive endoderm (DE) cells from hESCs