Century Therapeutics, Fujifilm Cellular Dynamics enter license agreement

Century Therapeutics and FUJIFILM Cellular Dynamics announce a new worldwide license agreement and expansion of existing licenses for the development and commercialization of cell therapies derived from iPSCs for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, including type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis. There are up to 100 autoimmune conditions which collectively impact more than 24 million Americans,1 with studies indicating that both incidence and prevalence of autoimmune disease are rising for reasons that are poorly understood2. Treatment of autoimmune disease is currently limited to symptom management, and includes correcting resulting deficiencies in the body, along with reducing inflammation and the immune response. iPSCs have the capability to self-renew and differentiate into key cell types, providing regenerative and immune-modulating properties as a treatment modality. The new licenses expand on the companies’ existing collaboration initiated in 2018 for iPSC-derived cancer immunotherapeutics. Under the terms of the agreements, FUJIFILM Cellular Dynamics will be eligible to receive certain development and regulatory milestone payments as well as royalties related to products developed in connection with the companies’ agreements.