Cellular Dynamics Raises $40.6 MM to Revolutionize Pharma Drug Research with Industrial Manufacture of Human Heart and Other Cells

MADISON, Wis., April 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Cellular Dynamics International, Inc. (CDI), already the world's highest volume manufacturer of human heart cells, has closed on a $40.6 million Series B private equity round.  This financing enables the company to increase production capacity for its iCell(TM) Cardiomyocytes, human heart cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), and to launch additional human tissue cell products for biomedical and pharmaceutical drug development and safety research. CDI also plans to use the proceeds to rapidly expand its commercial organization to meet the growing demand for these iPSC-based products. CDI has raised a total of $70 million since 2004.  

"CDI has now secured the highest-level of funding in this new industry," said Robert Palay, the company's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "We have strong demand from pharmaceutical companies for live heart cells derived from iPSCs because the high purity and quality of our cells result in more accurate preclinical drug testing. Prior to our product introduction, new drugs were tested primarily on either human tissue cells from cadavers, cells derived from tumors, or animal cells, none of which accurately mirror what happens in a live human body.  We believe access to iCell Cardiomyocytes will help speed the discovery of safer and more effective medicines."  

CDI will also apply the new funding toward expansion of its product lines beyond the current iCell Cardiomyocytes product offering. "We intend to launch liver, nerve, and blood vessel cell products over the next 18 months," said Chris Parker, CDI's Chief Commercial Officer.

CDI's breakthrough is in the production process, which can produce large quantities of human heart cells while fully maintaining their purity, quality and consistency. The company's iCell Cardiomyocytes product line is the first commercial product based on stem cells grown from adult tissue using CDI Founder James A. Thomson's iPSC technology.

CDI grows its fully pluripotent stem cell lines from individual skin or blood samples from adults.  "Our iPSC approach gives our pharmaceutical customers the opportunity to test their drugs' specific effects on different people's heart cells, allowing them to look at the effect of drugs on people based on factors such as gender, heritage and other biological differences," added Parker. The company's iPSC technology isolates and cultures skin or blood cells from human donors and then coaxes them to turn back their developmental clock and become iPSCs, which then can be further directed to morph into any of the human body's 200+ cell types.

"Today, iCell Cardiomyocytes help pharmaceutical companies speed the discovery of safer, more effective drugs.  Our vision is to one day manufacture personal stem cell lines for any individual, and to grow large quantities of that person's heart and other cells for their own bank of cells.  I can foresee a day in the not-so-distant future when doctors will be testing medicines for safety and effectiveness on your own cells before giving you a prescription.  CDI is working towards the day when such personalized drug testing leads to safer, more effective treatments," said Palay.

The recent Series B Preferred Shared financing was led by Tactics II Stem Cell Ventures, which also led CDI's prior capital raises.  Other investors in the recent financing include:

• Sam Zell's Equity Group Investments, L.L.C.,  and
• Sixth Floor Investors LP

Newly elected board of director member, Leonard Loventhal, an officer of Sixth Floor Investors, commented, "While many in the emerging stem cell industry are chasing distant cellular therapeutics, CDI has developed industrial expertise in high-volume, high-quality manufacturing of human iPS cell-derived tissue products.  When combined with their strong intellectual property position, full freedom to operate, and the capital resources of this investor consortium, CDI is uniquely positioned to provide its pharmaceutical customers with iPSC-derived products immediately useful in drug discovery and safety testing."

"We've known the CDI's management team for decades," explained Mathew Zell, Managing Director, Equity Group Investments LLC.  "We are impressed with its track record of creating value in the life science industry and with the exciting progress at CDI in particular. We believe the launch of iCell Cardiomyocytes is just the first of many important new products."

Jamie Thomson, CDI's Chief Scientific Officer, further commented, "I am gratified that CDI has been able to secure funding to expand the availability of iPS cell-derived human tissue cells to the research community.  CDI has been successful in manufacturing fully functional cardiomyocytes and other tissues from its fully pluripotent iPS cell lines.  My view is that the immediate contribution iPSCs provide is as a model for drug discovery and toxicity testing, with therapeutic use perhaps decades down the road. CDI has attained this first goal, providing highly purified human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes in the quantities and quality required for drug testing and is already well underway to offering multiple other tissue cell types."  

About Cellular Dynamics International

Cellular Dynamics International, Inc. (CDI) is a leading developer and marketer of next-generation stem cell technologies for drug development and personalized medicine applications.  CDI harnesses the power of pluripotent stem cells and their ability to differentiate into any cell type for world-class drug development tools.  In addition, it is the leader in iPSC technology, the production of pluripotent stem cell lines from adult tissue.  CDI was founded in 2004 by James Thomson, a pioneer in human pluripotent stem cell research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Tactics II Ventures, a Wisconsin-based venture capital fund.  CDI's facilities are located in Madison, Wisconsin.  See www.cellulardynamics.com.

SOURCE Cellular Dynamics International