ExCellThera
ExCellThera is a Montréal-based clinical-stage biotechnology company developing Zemcelpro, a personalized UM171-expanded cord blood stem cell therapy for adults with high-risk hematological malignancies, commercialized via licensing deals and direct hospital sales.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersMontréal, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What ExCellThera does
ExCellThera Inc. is a Montréal-based, privately held clinical-stage biotechnology company founded in 2015 that develops cell therapies for hematological malignancies. Its lead product, Zemcelpro (dorocubicel/UM171 Cell Therapy), is a personalized cryopreserved hematopoietic stem cell transplantation product containing UM171-expanded CD34+ cells and unexpanded CD34- cells derived from the same cord blood unit, designed to improve survival outcomes in adults with high-risk and very high-risk blood cancers including acute leukemias and myelodysplastic syndromes.
The company commercializes Zemcelpro through a licensing model, granting Medexus Pharmaceuticals exclusive Canadian commercialization rights in exchange for a US$2 million upfront payment, royalties, and milestone payments. In Germany, ExCellThera engages hospitals directly under a NUB Status 1 listing, with 220 hospitals expressing interest for 2026. Manufacturing and clinical program management are handled by its wholly owned subsidiary, Cordex Biologics.
Zemcelpro received conditional marketing authorization from the European Commission in 2025 and NUB Status 1 listing in Germany in February 2026, with regulatory filings planned in the US, UK, and Switzerland. Positive Phase 2 data presented at EBMT 2026 showed improved survival metrics, particularly in patients under 43 years old, and a pivotal Phase 3 trial is planned. The company is led by scientific co-founders Anne Marinier (CTO Chemistry) and Guy Sauvageau (CEO/CSO), with Pierre Caudrelier as CMO and Acting COO.
ExCellThera firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ExCellThera
- Legal name
- ExCellThera Inc.
- Website
- https://excellthera.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- ExCellThera is a Montréal-based clinical-stage biotechnology company developing Zemcelpro, a personalized UM171-expanded cord blood stem cell therapy for adults with high-risk hematological malignancies, commercialized via licensing deals and direct hospital sales.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ExCellThera industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cell Therapy
- NAICS
- Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414)
- SIC
- Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Stem Cell Therapies (MSC/iPSC/HSC-derived) (HLAAABAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Cell Therapy Manufacturing Services (GMP, autologous/allogeneic) (HLAAAKAC)
Keywords
Where ExCellThera is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Montréal
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
ExCellThera business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Licensing and Royalty Revenue: ExCellThera generates revenue through licensing agreements including upfront payments, milestone payments, and ongoing royalties on net sales. Medexus made an initial US$2 million payment with additional royalty and milestone payments for Canadian commercialization rights.
- Manufacturing and Supply: Cordex Biologics continues to manage clinical programs and manufacturing supply, providing ongoing operational revenue from product manufacturing for commercial distribution.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels2 records
ExCellThera product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ExCellThera develops and commercializes Zemcelpro (dorocubicel/UM171 Cell Therapy), a personalized cryopreserved hematopoietic stem cell transplantation product for treating hematological malignancies such as leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes. The product is composed of UM171-expanded CD34+ cells and unexpanded CD34- cells derived from the same cord blood unit. The company operates through its wholly-owned subsidiary Cordex Biologics, which manages clinical programs and manufacturing.
Product overview
ExCellThera is a biopharmaceutical company focused on cell therapy for blood cancers. The company's primary product is Zemcelpro® (also known as dorocubicel or UM171 Cell Therapy), a personalized cryopreserved hematopoietic stem cell transplant therapy. The company operates through its wholly owned subsidiary Cordex Biologics, which manages clinical programs and manufacturing. Zemcelpro® received conditional marketing authorization from the European Commission and is being commercialized through licensing agreements, including a partnership with Medexus for the Canadian market.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Zemcelpro: Personalized cryopreserved hematopoietic stem cell transplant product (dorocubicel/UM171 Cell Therapy) for treating hematological malignancies such as leukemia and myelodysplasia
Products and services
- Zemcelpro (dorocubicel/UM171 Cell Therapy) A novel personalized cryopreserved hematopoietic stem cell transplantation product for treating hematological malignancies such as leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes. Contains UM171-expanded CD34+ cells and unexpanded CD34- cells derived from the same cord blood unit. Targeted at adult patients with high-risk and very high-risk blood cancers requiring stem cell transplantation.
Quantifiable outcome
- Phase 2 studies showed improved survival metrics for adult patients with high-risk blood cancers, especially those under 43 years old
Companies that use ExCellThera
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
ExCellThera technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
ExCellThera partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Medexus PharmaceuticalscoreExCellThera and its subsidiary Cordex Biologics granted Medexus exclusive licensing and supply rights to commercialize Zemcelpro (dorocubicel/UM171 Cell Therapy) in Canada. Medexus made an initial US$2 million payment with additional royalty and milestone payments. Commercial launch in Canada is expected no earlier than 2028 pending Health Canada approval. Cordex continues to manage clinical programs and manufacturing while Medexus handles commercialization.
- Cordex BiologicscoreWholly-owned subsidiary of ExCellThera that manages clinical programs, manufacturing, and supply chain operations for Zemcelpro. Cordex Biologics continues to handle manufacturing while licensing commercialization rights to partners like Medexus.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
ExCellThera competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Gamida Cell: Israeli clinical-stage biotech that developed omidubicel, an ex vivo expanded cord blood-derived cell therapy for HSCT in hematologic malignancies. Directly comparable to ExCellThera as both are autologous stem cell expansion technologies addressing the same transplant indication with similar regulatory pathways.
Broad incumbents
- Novartis: Global pharmaceutical leader with Kymriah, the first FDA-approved CAR-T cell therapy, plus broader cell and gene therapy capabilities. Comparable as a broad incumbent operating across cell therapy categories including hematologic malignancies, though focused on different modalities (CAR-T vs. stem cell expansion).
- Bristol Myers Squibb: Large pharmaceutical company with Breyanzi (lisocabtagene maraleucel) and Abecma (idecabtagene vicleucel) CAR-T cell therapies approved for hematologic malignancies. Operates as a broad incumbent in cell therapy for blood cancers, though its portfolio centers on CAR-T rather than stem cell expansion.
Emerging players
- Adaptimmune Therapeutics: Clinical-stage cell therapy company developing engineered T-cell receptor therapies for solid and hematologic cancers. Comparable as an emerging player in cell therapy for hematologic malignancies, though with different modality (TCR-based vs. stem cell expansion).
- Allogene Therapeutics: Clinical-stage biotech developing allogeneic CAR-T cell therapies for hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. Comparable as an emerging cell therapy developer in oncology, though its focus is on allogeneic CAR-T rather than autologous stem cell expansion for HSCT.
- Mesoblast: Commercial-stage cell therapy company developing mesenchymal lineage cell therapies including remestemcel-L for graft-versus-host disease, a key complication of HSCT. Adjacent comparable in cell therapy targeting the post-HSCT treatment setting.
- Bluebird Bio: Clinical/commercial-stage gene and cell therapy company developing lentiviral-based gene-modified cell therapies for severe genetic diseases and oncology. Comparable as an emerging player in ex vivo modified cell therapies for hematologic indications.
- CRISPR Therapeutics: Clinical-stage gene editing company developing CRISPR/Cas9-based cell therapies including Casgevy (exa-cel) for sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia. Comparable as an emerging player in ex vivo modified cell therapies for hematologic diseases, with overlapping regulatory pathway considerations.
Others
- Lonza Group: Global CDMO with a leading cell and gene therapy manufacturing services business, including autologous and allogeneic cell therapy production. Comparable as a cell therapy CDMO ecosystem participant; Cordex Biologics operates in an adjacent manufacturing services space.
- Catalent: Major global CDMO providing cell therapy development and manufacturing services, including autologous cell therapy production for clinical and commercial supply. Comparable as an enabling ecosystem participant in cell therapy manufacturing infrastructure.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ExCellThera social profiles
Digital presenceExCellThera compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
ExCellThera financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ExCellThera leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
ExCellThera subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
ExCellThera funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ExCellThera M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ExCellThera
What does ExCellThera do?
ExCellThera develops and commercializes Zemcelpro (dorocubicel/UM171 Cell Therapy), a personalized cryopreserved hematopoietic stem cell transplantation product for treating hematological malignancies such as leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes. The product is composed of UM171-expanded CD34+ cells and unexpanded CD34- cells derived from the same cord blood unit. The company operates through its wholly-owned subsidiary Cordex Biologics, which manages clinical programs and manufacturing.
Is ExCellThera a public or private company?
ExCellThera is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was ExCellThera founded?
ExCellThera was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is ExCellThera based?
ExCellThera is headquartered in Montréal, Canada, in the North America region.
How does ExCellThera make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Licensing and Royalty Revenue is the primary driver. The others are manufacturing and Supply.
Who are ExCellThera's main competitors?
Gamida Cell is listed as a direct peer. Broad incumbents are Novartis and Bristol Myers Squibb. Emerging players are Adaptimmune Therapeutics, Allogene Therapeutics, Mesoblast, Bluebird Bio and CRISPR Therapeutics. Others are Lonza Group and Catalent.
Does ExCellThera have an API?
No public API is recorded for ExCellThera.
What industry is ExCellThera in?
ExCellThera's product category is Cell Therapy. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAAABAE, Stem Cell Therapies (MSC/iPSC/HSC-derived), with a secondary code of HLAAAKAC, Cell Therapy Manufacturing Services (GMP, autologous/allogeneic). Its NAICS code is 325414 and its SIC code is 2836.