XellSmart doses first spinal cord injury patient with iPSC-derived cell therapy

XellSmart Biopharmaceutical has completed the world's first patient dosing with an ‘off-the-shelf’ allogeneic, iPSC-derived spinal neural progenitor cell therapy in a China NMPA and U.S. FDA-approved registrational clinical trial.

The phase 1 trial, targeting spinal cord injury, kicked off in Guangzhou, China. Following the transplantation of clinical-grade, iPSC-derived neural progenitor cells, the initial subject exhibited no surgical or perioperative complications or other adverse safety events.

Launched in 2021, Shanghai-based XellSmart has secured multiple rounds of financing, collectively led by VC firms including Eli Lilly Asia Ventures and Qiming Venture Partners. The company has seven IND approvals from both China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) and the U.S. FDA for registrational clinical trials. All approved programs focus on clinical-grade allogeneic, iPSC-derived cell therapies targeting central nervous system diseases with significant unmet medical needs, including Parkinson's, spinal cord injury and ALS.