October 7, 2020 -- Citius Pharmaceuticals has exclusively licensed the messenger RNA (mRNA)-based induced mesenchymal stem cell (iMSC) platform developed by Novellus Therapeutics.
Citius has formed a new subsidiary, NoveCite, that will be focused on developing cellular therapies.
NoveCite will develop and commercialize NoveCite mesenchymal stem cells (NC-iMSCs) to treat acute respiratory conditions with a focus on acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) associated with COVID-19. MSCs have been shown to reduce inflammation, enhance clearance of pathogens and stimulate tissue repair in the lungs.
This next-generation therapy will be more potent and have higher levels of immunomodulatory proteins compared to traditional donor-derived MSCs. They also have the potential to reduce manufacturing costs because the cells are generated from a single donor and are clonal.