What are placental stem cells and what are placental stem cells used for? As placental stem cells get explored for a variety of therapeutic applications, these questions become increasingly important. The opportunity to collect placental stem cells is also a once in a lifetime opportunity. [Read more…]
Celularity Acquires CariCord, Adds Biosourcing Assets, Establishes Relationship with ClinImmune Labs
WARREN, N.J., Aug. 31, 2018 — Celularity, an allogeneic immuno-oncology and placental cell therapeutics company, today announced it entered into a definitive agreement to acquire CariCord, the family cord blood bank established by the University of Colorado and ClinImmune Labs. Through its exclusive ClinImmune Labs relationship, CariCord is the first, and so far the only family cord blood bank to operate inside a FDA Licensed Laboratory. ClinImmune Labs is an academic component of the School of Medicine at the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. [Read more…]
Celularity – Big Bucks, Billionaire Investors, Bold Dreams
Celularity is a biotechnology company that specializes in leveraging biologically active cell populations within the postpartum human placenta. Founded on the pioneering work of Robert Hariri, MD, PhD, in human placenta-derived cellular therapeutics and biomaterials, Celularity is uniquely positioned to harness the potential of most biocreative event on earth: human birth.
I had the honor of interviewing Celularity’s CEO, Dr. Robert Hariri, a pioneer and visionary within the stem cell industry. As a surgeon, biomedical scientist and serial entrepreneur, Dr. Hariri was previously the Founder and CEO of one of the world’s largest human cellular therapeutics companies, Celgene Cellular Therapeutics, a division of Celgene Corporation. In August 2017, Hariri brought Celularity Inc. into the spotlight by announcing a successful Series A financing with contributions from influential investors, including Sorrento Therapeutics, United Therapeutics Corporation, and Human Longevity, Inc. (HLI).
On February 15th, 2018, the company broke even bigger news when it announced that it had raised $250 million in funding, with contributions from the Genting Group, Tony Robbins, and Dreyfus Family Office, among others.
Below is Part 2 of a two-part interview with Celularity’s CEO, Dr. Robert Hariri. Click here to read Part 1.
Cord Blood Market Research – Competitive Trends and Macro Landscape
To apply cord blood market research to business decisions, a thorough understanding of the marketplace is required. There are a number of emerging trends, perinatal tissue types, and cell expansion technologies that are affecting the marketplace, but to fully understand their impact, historical context must be introduced. The global cord blood industry came into existence in the early 1990’s with the formation of several leading cord blood banks in the USA, followed by the establishment of cord blood banks across the globe. The mid-2000s were a growth period for the U.S. cord blood market, but that trend has since subsided and the market in now in a phase of maturation and consolidation. [Read more…]
Dr. Robert Hariri – Placental Pioneer Launches Celularity with $250M Cash
Dr. Robert Hariri is a fascinating figure in the stem cell industry, because he was the earliest pioneer to recognize the regenerative potential of the human placenta. In August 2017, Hariri brought his latest company, Celularity, into the spotlight by announcing a successful Series A financing with contributions from influential investors, including United Therapeutics Corporation, Celgene, Sorrento Therapeutics, and Human Longevity, Inc. (HLI).
Today, Celularity’s investor contributions have reached an astounding $250 million, including contributions from the Genting Group, Dreyfus Family Office and Tony Robbins, among other notable investors.
Celularity, Inc.
Celularity, a spin-out company from global biopharmaceutical giant Celgene, announced this morning that it has raised $250 million to support development of revolutionary placental-derived products, including T-cells that will be immune advantaged because of their derivation from the placenta. This is a massive accomplishment, because it dwarfs the $225 million in Series A financing raised by BlueRock Therapeutics in December 2016 that was previously a landmark accomplishment within the stem cell industry.
With the Celgene snagging Juno Therapeutics for a shocking $9 billion in January 2018 and Gilead picking up Kite Pharma for an astounding $11.9 billion in August 2017, Celularity is also joining the ranks of powerful immunotherapy companies that could be a target for merger or acquisition.
If that wasn’t enough, Celularity is looking to burst a major bottleneck in the industry by deriving T-cells from a single (allogeneic) cell line, potentially positioning itself to slash the price point for CAR-T treatments. Currently, Gilead and subsidiary Kite Pharma have a CAR-T cell therapy on the market (Yescarta) with a price point of $373,000 per patient and Novartis has a genetically modified autologous CAR-T therapy (Kymriah) priced at $475,000 per treatment.
At its core, Celularity is a biotechnology company that specializes in leveraging biologically active cell populations within the postpartum human placenta. Founded on the pioneering work of Robert Hariri, MD, PhD, in human placenta-derived cellular therapeutics and biomaterials, Celularity is uniquely positioned to harness the potential of most biocreative event on earth: human birth. [Read more…]
