LifeCell to manufacture Mesenchymal Stem Cells at Jhajjar in Haryana

LifeCell, stem cell bank in the country, to set up manufacturing of Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs). The facility is coming at Jhajjar, Haryana.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells are one type of master stem cells that have the potential to form bone, cartilage, muscle and adipose tissues, thereby making them capable of being used in the several therapeutic areas. Importantly, these MSCs can be made available off-the-shelf for immediate treatment as they don’t need donor-recipient matching, said the company.

The company will invest around Rs 250 million over the next three years to set up the facility. This is for facility Build-Out plus Clinical Trials.

Mayur Abhaya, MD & CEO, LifeCell, said, "This initiative would allow people to have an access of high quality of MSCs and we are very happy to make the first move in the industry by making it affordable by providing high quality of stem cells for treatment.  We are certain we would be able to make this product available in the country in the coming years which would meet the unmet need with better outcomes. For stem cell banking clients, it would offer many advantages as families can now get immediate, off-the-shelf access of these stem cells instead of having to wait upto 12 weeks for clinical expansion of their own baby’s stem cells."

In the light of this development, LifeCell will also make changes to its stem cell banking program, whereby instead of private banking of umbilical cord tissue, it would alternatively offer donor-derived umbilical cord tissue MSCs.