Amgen Invests in Fortuna Fix

Amgen is participating in a $25 million Series B round for Fortuna Fix, a regenerative medicine company based in Canada that is developing an autologous neural stem cell treatment for the replacement of lost neuronal tissue. The treatment is clinical-stage and uses direct reprogramming of somatic cells into neural precursor cells, which can be further optimized for specific indications. The technology uses no fetal or embryonic cells (i.e., pluripotent cells, which have been associated with safety issues, including development of tetromas) and no animal, viral or bacterial components. Further, the cells, called drNPCs, are believed to be safe to deliver without immunosuppression.

Funds will be used to conduct Phase I/IIa clinical trials in Parkinson’s Disease and Spinal Cord Injury, as well as to expand Fortuna’s automated robotic manufacturing capabilities. FierceBiotech reports that when the cell therapy will be ready for human testing and the exact patient populations where the treatment will be evaluated have not been determined, but the company is in discussions with clinical advisors and the FDA to further those decisions.