SmartCella and Catalent Sign Nonexclusive License Agreement for GMP iPSCs
January 12, 2026 – Tullinge, Sweden, and Tampa, FL – SmartCella Holding AB (“SmartCella”), a global biopharma company developing and manufacturing cutting-edge cell therapy approaches for difficult-to-treat diseases, and Catalent, Inc., the leader in enabling the development and supply of better treatments for patients worldwide, today announced a nonexclusive license agreement for SmartCella to use Catalent’s proprietary off-the-shelf GMP compliant induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) for research, development and clinical translation of novel allogeneic stem cell-based regenerative therapies. The partnership supports research and development of regenerative medicines targeting cardiac disease and Parkinson’s disease.
“As a global CDMO with leading capabilities developing iPSCs and iPSC-derived cell therapies, Catalent is pleased to partner with SmartCella, a leading biopharma advancing innovative cell-based therapeutics.” said David McErlane, Biologics Group President at Catalent. “Together, we aim to accelerate the development of transformative iPSC-based therapies for patients living with cardiac failure and Parkinson’s disease and bring SmartCella’s vision closer to patients – driving innovation and the potential to improve outcomes worldwide.”
“Access to robust, well-characterized iPSC lines is a critical enabler of our Regenerative Medicines technology platforms. It provides a strong foundation for scalable manufacturing of iPSC-derived therapies that de-risk scale-up and future GMP implementation. It also underpins our development efforts and partnerships, with current focus on Parkinson’s disease, cardiac failure and osteoarthritis. We are pleased to partner with a world-renowned CDMO leader such as Catalent as we advance these programs,” said Ricardo Baptista, Chief Technology Officer at SmartCella.
About SmartCella
SmartCella is a global biopharma company that combines biotech methods and medical science to develop therapies from living systems and pioneers targeted therapies and precision medicine approaches for difficult-to-treat diseases through delivery solutions and advanced therapy development. Founded in 2014, the company is built on globally renowned research at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. SmartCella combines novel delivery platforms, such as the Extroducer® (an endovascular delivery device that enables direct injection into hard-to-reach organs and tumors), with the development and manufacturing of cell therapies. The company has two operating segments: Targeted Delivery and Regenerative Medicines. An international team of scientists, innovators, and experienced business leaders works to deliver the future of targeted therapies and develop life-changing treatments. Read more www.smartcella.com and follow SmartCella on LinkedIn.
About Catalent
Catalent, Inc. is a leading global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) championing the missions that help people live better and healthier lives. Every product that Catalent helps develop, manufacture and launch reflects its commitment to improve health outcomes around the world through its Patient First approach. Catalent provides unparalleled service to pharma, biotech and consumer health customers, delivering on their missions to transform lives. Catalent tailors end-to-end solutions to meet customers’ needs in all phases of development and manufacturing. With thousands of scientists and technicians and the latest technology platforms at more than 40 global sites, Catalent supplies billions of doses of life-enhancing and life-saving treatments for patients annually. For more information, visit www.catalent.com.
CONTACTS
Catalent
Laura Hortas, Vice President, Corporate Communications
[email protected]
SmartCella
Nina Nornholm, Head of Communication & Investor Relations
+46 708 550 356
[email protected]