Q Therapeutics
Q Therapeutics is a privately-held clinical-stage biotechnology company developing Q-Cells®, an allogeneic human glial progenitor cell therapy for incurable central nervous system diseases including ALS, transverse myelitis, multiple sclerosis, and spinal cord injury.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersSalt Lake City, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Q Therapeutics does
Q Therapeutics, Inc. is a privately-held clinical-stage biotechnology company headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, developing allogeneic cell-based therapeutics for currently incurable central nervous system (CNS) diseases. The company's sole clinical asset is Q-Cells®, a population of human glial-restricted progenitor (GRP) cells isolated and purified from brain tissue without genetic manipulation. Q-Cells® are designed as an off-the-shelf injectable that, upon administration to the CNS, migrate to sites of injury or disease and differentiate into astrocytes and oligodendrocytes — the support cells responsible for maintaining myelin and neuronal function. The company holds 21 issued patents across five patent families and has received FDA Fast Track and Orphan Drug Designation for ALS (November 2013) and Orphan Drug Designation for Transverse Myelitis (September 2018); FDA IND clearance for ALS was granted in June 2015 and IND allowance for a Phase 1/2a Transverse Myelitis trial followed in July 2017.
The pipeline is anchored by Q-Cells® for ALS (30-patient dose-escalating first-in-human trial) and Transverse Myelitis (9-patient dose-escalating trial), with future indications including Multiple Sclerosis (~400,000 U.S. patients) and spinal cord injury (~12,000 new U.S. cases annually). The company also holds an exclusive worldwide license to Q-Cells® from the University of Utah Research Foundation and has established a joint venture with REPROCELL — MAGiQ Therapeutics — to advance commercialization, alongside research collaborations with Johns Hopkins University, the Buck Institute, and InVivo Therapeutics. In November 2016, Q Therapeutics acquired Degania Medical, marking a diversification into medical devices. The company has fewer than 10 employees, is led by CEO/Chairman Steven Borst with Scientific Co-founder Mahendra Rao (former NIH Center for Regenerative Medicine Director) as CSO, and has raised approximately $24.2 million across disclosed funding rounds between 2008 and 2017.
As a pre-revenue clinical-stage biotech, Q Therapeutics' revenue mechanics will ultimately depend on commercialization of Q-Cells® (likely through the MAGiQ JV or a future pharma partnership), with pricing not publicly disclosed. Current customer segments are defined by indication — ALS patients (~30,000 U.S.), Transverse Myelitis patients (~44,000 U.S.), and future MS and SCI populations — and there are no named commercial customers or distribution channels today. Marketing activity is limited to scientific publications, press releases, and investor relations rather than consumer channels, consistent with a pre-commercial biotech.
Q Therapeutics firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Q Therapeutics
- Legal name
- Q Therapeutics, Inc.
- Website
- https://qthera.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Q Therapeutics is a privately-held clinical-stage biotechnology company developing Q-Cells®, an allogeneic human glial progenitor cell therapy for incurable central nervous system diseases including ALS, transverse myelitis, multiple sclerosis, and spinal cord injury.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Q Therapeutics industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cell Therapy / Regenerative Medicine for CNS Diseases
- NAICS
- Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)
- SIC
- Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Stem Cell Therapies (MSC/iPSC/HSC-derived) (HLAAABAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Neural & Spinal Cord Regeneration (HLAAAGAI), Multiple Sclerosis & Neuroimmunology (HLAKAIAF)
Keywords
Where Q Therapeutics is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Salt Lake City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Q Therapeutics business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Marketing channels5 records
Q Therapeutics product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Q Therapeutics develops Q-Cells®, an allogeneic human glial progenitor cell therapeutic candidate designed to treat incurable central nervous system (CNS) diseases by delivering healthy glial-restricted progenitor cells to sites of CNS injury. Q-Cells® differentiate into astrocytes and oligodendrocytes to replace damaged myelin-producing and neuron-supporting cells, and are intended for treatment of transverse myelitis, ALS, multiple sclerosis, and spinal cord injury through injection-based administration. The company is clinical-stage with FDA-cleared Phase 1/2a trials in ALS and Transverse Myelitis.
Product overview
Q Therapeutics is developing Q-Cells®, an allogeneic human glial progenitor cell therapy for treating incurable central nervous system (CNS) diseases. Q-Cells® are adult progenitor cells restricted in their ability to differentiate only into glia (astrocytes and oligodendrocytes), providing support and repair functions for neurons. The company is advancing clinical trials for Transverse Myelitis and ALS, with pipeline candidates targeting Multiple Sclerosis, Spinal Cord Injury, and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Q-Cells®: Human glial progenitor cells that give rise to astrocytes and oligodendrocytes, the company's first cellular therapeutic candidate for treating CNS diseases including Transverse Myelitis and ALS.
Products and services
- Q-Cells® Glial Progenitor Cell Therapeutic Allogeneic, off-the-shelf human glial progenitor cell therapeutic that gives rise to astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. Designed to be delivered via small-volume injection to sites of central nervous system injury or disease to restore myelin production and neuron support functions. FDA Fast Track and Orphan Drug designated for ALS; Orphan Drug designated for Transverse Myelitis.
Quantifiable outcome
- No observed toxicity in more than 360 treated animals across six independent laboratories
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Q Therapeutics
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Q Therapeutics technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Q Therapeutics partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- InVivo TherapeuticsminorJoint research collaboration announced October 2018 focused on stem cell therapeutic approaches for spinal cord repair.
- REPROCELLcoreJoint venture partnership with REPROCELL to develop and commercialize cell therapies. Also established MAGiQ Therapeutics as a joint venture entity.
- REPROCELLminorResearch collaboration to study neural cell therapies for neurological disorders.
- Johns Hopkins UniversitycoreLong-standing collaboration with Johns Hopkins researchers on study of human neural glial cells in treatment of ALS. Multiple joint studies and NIH funding received through this partnership.
- Buck InstituteminorStem cell collaboration to combat Parkinson's disease using Q-Cells technology.
- University of Utah Research FoundationcoreExclusive worldwide rights to Q-Cells® product through agreement with University of Utah Research Foundation, based on technology developed by Dr. Mahendra Rao during his tenure at the University.
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Q Therapeutics competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics: BrainStorm develops NurOwn®, an autologous MSC-based cell therapy for ALS and MS — the closest direct peer to Q-Cells as a CNS-focused cell therapy developer. Both companies target neurodegenerative demyelination/motor neuron rescue with cell-based approaches.
- Neuralstem (Seneca Biopharma): Neuralstem developed NSI-566, a human neural stem cell therapy for ALS, and pursued CNS regenerative indications — directly comparable platform, target indication, and cell type to Q-Cells' approach.
- Lineage Cell Therapeutics: Lineage develops oligodendrocyte progenitor cell therapies (e.g., OPC1 for spinal cord injury) and other allogeneic CNS cell therapies, making it one of the closest mechanistic and indication peers to Q Therapeutics' glial progenitor platform.
- InVivo Therapeutics: InVivo Therapeutics develops implantable scaffolds and cellular therapies for spinal cord injury and is a named research collaborator of Q Therapeutics since October 2018. Directly comparable in CNS/spinal cord injury therapeutic focus.
Emerging players
- Celavie Biosciences: Celavie develops human neural stem cell therapies for CNS disorders including Parkinson's disease, representing an emerging cell-therapy peer with overlapping CNS regenerative focus but more limited public visibility and capital.
- BlueRock Therapeutics: BlueRock (a Bayer subsidiary) develops engineered iPSC-derived cell therapies for neurological diseases including Parkinson's. Comparable as a well-capitalized CNS cell therapy peer, though differentiated by pluripotent vs. progenitor cell source and genetic engineering.
- Athersys: Athersys develops MultiStem®, an off-the-shelf allogeneic stem cell therapy evaluated in stroke and ARDS — comparable as a clinical-stage allogeneic cell therapy company, though focused on different CNS/critical care indications.
Broad incumbents
- Amylyx Pharmaceuticals: Amylyx developed AMX0035/Relyvrio for ALS, a small-molecule alternative to cell therapy in the same primary indication. Comparable as a focused ALS therapeutic developer pursuing the same patient population with different modality.
- Cytokinetics: Cytokinetics develops muscle-targeted small molecules (e.g., reldesemtiv/ tirasemtiv) for ALS and other neuromuscular diseases, competing for the same ALS patient population through a non-cell-therapy approach with broader pipeline scale.
- Biogen: Biogen is a dominant neurology biopharmaceutical with major franchises in Multiple Sclerosis (Tysabri, Tecfidera) and ALS assets (Qalsody/tofersen). Represents the broad incumbent against which Q-Cells would compete in MS and ALS commercialization.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Q Therapeutics social profiles
Digital presenceQ Therapeutics financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Q Therapeutics leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Q Therapeutics subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Q Therapeutics funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors6 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Q Therapeutics M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Q Therapeutics
What does Q Therapeutics do?
Q Therapeutics develops Q-Cells®, an allogeneic human glial progenitor cell therapeutic candidate designed to treat incurable central nervous system (CNS) diseases by delivering healthy glial-restricted progenitor cells to sites of CNS injury. Q-Cells® differentiate into astrocytes and oligodendrocytes to replace damaged myelin-producing and neuron-supporting cells, and are intended for treatment of transverse myelitis, ALS, multiple sclerosis, and spinal cord injury through injection-based administration. The company is clinical-stage with FDA-cleared Phase 1/2a trials in ALS and Transverse Myelitis.
Is Q Therapeutics a public or private company?
Q Therapeutics is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Q Therapeutics founded?
Q Therapeutics was founded in 2001. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Q Therapeutics based?
Q Therapeutics is headquartered in Salt Lake City, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Q Therapeutics's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics, Neuralstem (Seneca Biopharma), Lineage Cell Therapeutics and InVivo Therapeutics. Emerging players are Celavie Biosciences, BlueRock Therapeutics and Athersys. Broad incumbents are Amylyx Pharmaceuticals, Cytokinetics and Biogen.
Does Q Therapeutics have an API?
No public API is recorded for Q Therapeutics.
What industry is Q Therapeutics in?
Q Therapeutics's product category is Cell Therapy / Regenerative Medicine for CNS Diseases. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAAABAE, Stem Cell Therapies (MSC/iPSC/HSC-derived), with a secondary code of HLAAAGAI, Neural & Spinal Cord Regeneration. Its NAICS code is 541714 and its SIC code is 2836.