TOULOUSE, France & LYON, France–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#CDMO—Merieux Equity Partners (via OMX Europe Venture Fund), IRDI Soridec Gestion and M Capital Partners have joined a Series A financing round into Cell-Easy – a novel French pharmaceutical laboratory specialized in the development and manufacturing of novel cell therapies, for preclinical and clinical studies. This fund raising aims at accelerating the company’s growth in France and internationally, by expanding Cell-Easy management team and strengthening the company’s commercial presence in key regions.
Cell-Easy is a stem cell Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) that provides ready-to-inject adipose-derived allogeneic stem cells for preclinical and clinical drug development. The company operates a manufacturing unit compliant with current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) regulation, inspected by French National Agency of Medicine and Health Products Safety (ANSM), which is scalable and guarantees optimal product safety and quality. Cell-Easy intends to expand its industrial manufacturing platform, in order to respond to the growing demand in stem cells and more generally in cell therapies, coming from biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies as well as clinical research centers in hospitals and universities.
Initially considered as a simple organ of storage whose excess of development is a cause of obesity and associated metabolic diseases, fat tissue is in fact a genuine endocrine tissue (secreting hormones) which plays a crucial role in a wide range of procedures of the organism. Many research studies have also highlighted that fat tissue is an abundant source of cells having therapeutic properties, the mesenchymal stromal cells. These cells, which can be found in many tissues, have immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and angiogenic properties. They are also able to help with tissue repair, either directly, or indirectly by secreting molecules or while releasing micro-vesicles.
Cell-Easy produces allogeneic stem cells in a cost-effective way and according to quality standard of Good Manufacturing Practices, so that companies and physicians can carry out Phase 1 to Phase 3 clinical trials. The company has already secured several contracts with established clients, in France and abroad. Based on the strong market demand, Merieux Equity Partners intends to support Cell-Easy on several fronts, including the expansion of its capabilities and service offering, also its business expansion at international level.
« We aim at becoming a key European supplier to pharmaceutical laboratories and innovative biotech companies, developing new modalities and indications for cell therapy. With renewed interest from the pharmaceutical sector, this financing round will significantly help us scale-up our capabilities and accelerate our commercial ramp-up, as early as 2021. », mentions Pierre Monsan, Chief Executive Officer of Cell-Easy.
« The industry is currently facing a clear challenge regarding sourcing of bio-therapies and also access to patients to evaluate novel treatment modalities. The opening of our gmp unit and the inclusion of Merieux Equity Partners, M Capital Partners and IRDI Soridec Gestion as new investors will help us achieve our strategic ambition to become a leading European player for the supply of cell therapies.», adds Guillaume Costecalde, Chairman and founder of Cell-Easy®.
« This investment in Cell-Easy is the sixth equity transaction by OMX Europe Venture FPCI, our newest venture fund established a year ago to support innovative companies in the healthcare and nutrition sectors. We have been convinced by quality of the management team of Cell Easy and the market potential of such industrial platform, based on the expanding demand for cell therapies around the world. » comments Yoann Bonnamour, Associate at Merieux Equity Partners.
About Cell-Easy – www.cell-easy.com
Established in France in 2015, Cell-Easy Cell-Easy is a stem cell Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) that provides quick and easy access to ready-to-inject adipose-derived allogeneic stem cells for preclinical and clinical drug development projects.
About Merieux Equity Partners – www.merieux-partners.com
Merieux Equity Partners is a management company registered with the Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) since June 2018 that is dedicated to Venture Capital and Growth Equity & Buy-Out. Merieux Equity Partners currently operates with an international team of 20 employees and business partners – based in Europe and North America. Merieux Equity Partners actively supports entrepreneurs and industrial companies whose products and services bring differentiated and innovative solutions in the healthcare and nutrition sectors.
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Merieux Equity Partners S.A.S.
Valérie CALENDA – info@merieux-partners.com – Tel : +33 6 08 75 46 90