Female reproductive longevity biotech Gameto has entered into a license agreement with Reprocell, a manufacturer of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). The agreement grants Gameto non-exclusive rights to use Reprocell’s StemRNA Clinical Seed iPSCs in its Fertilo program, which is designed to enhance in vitro fertilization (IVF) and egg freezing procedures.
Led by CEO Dina Turner (formerly Radenkovic) and Chairman Martin Varsavsky, Gameto is focused on advancing innovative treatments for women’s health, with an initial emphasis on addressing infertility. Fertilo, the company’s lead program, is an iPSC-derived solution aimed at maturing oocytes (eggs) outside of the female body. The approach has the potential to reduce the hormonal burden placed on patients undergoing fertility treatments, reducing the need for hormonal injections. The objective is to make IVF and egg freezing procedures safer, more accessible, and less intrusive.
“This license agreement is a crucial step in leveraging the scientific advancement of cell engineering for a more personalized medicine approach to IVF and egg freezing across the globe,” said Turner. “Women using these current services are still subject to dozens of hormonal injections and the associated side effects and complications. Modern women deserve improved fertility care, and we are honored to partner with leading companies like Reprocell to bring cutting-edge breakthroughs to women’s health, an area that has historically lagged in biopharmaceutical innovations.”
Reprocell manufactures iPSCs suitable for therapeutic use and compliant with the stringent regulatory standards established by prominent agencies, including the US FDA. The company says that the StemRNA Clinical iPSC Seed Clones, which will be used in the development of Fertilo, have been “evaluated, approved, and employed” by several biopharmaceutical companies.
“We are thrilled to partner with Gameto to enable and support their program, Fertilo,” said Chikafumi Yokoyama, CEO of Reprocell. “Reprocell, being a global leader in manufacturing GMP-grade iPSC lines for our clients, remains committed to our high quality and high standard StemRNA Clinical Seed iPSC platform to accelerate the stem cell-derived therapeutic programs globally.”
Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.
