CellProthera
CellProthera is a French clinical-stage biotech developing ProtheraCytes, an autologous CD34+ stem cell therapy delivered via its C-CATHez catheter to regenerate cardiac tissue in patients with severe post-myocardial infarction heart failure, currently advancing to Phase III trials.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersMulhouse, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What CellProthera does
CellProthera SAS is a clinical-stage biotechnology company headquartered in Mulhouse, France, developing autologous CD34+ stem cell therapies for cardiac regeneration following severe acute myocardial infarction. Founded in 2008 by Professor Philippe Hénon, a hematologist with 40+ years of CD34+ research and founder of the Institut de Recherche en Hématologie et Transplantation (IRHT), the company is built around its lead product ProtheraCytes, an autologous cell therapy derived from approximately 200ml of the patient's own blood. CD34+ cells are mobilized, harvested, expanded over 9 days using the proprietary automated StemXpand platform with single-use StemPack kits and StemFeed nutrient media, achieving >90% purity and ~98% viability. The expanded cells are then injected transendocardially into damaged cardiac tissue 4-6 weeks post-MI using the C-CATHez percutaneous catheter, whose IP was acquired from Celyad Oncology in February 2026 for up to €5M plus royalties, giving CellProthera end-to-end control of manufacturing and delivery.
The therapy is being developed for severe AMI patients with persistent left ventricular dysfunction (LVEF <50%), a population with 50% five-year mortality under standard care, and Phase I/IIb EXCELLENT results (49 patients across 13 sites in France and UK) showed a 9% reduction in LV systolic volume index at 6 months, 70% NT-proBNP reduction at 3 months, and heart failure hospitalization rates of 3% versus 19% in control, published in JACC-Heart Failure in 2025. CellProthera is currently preparing for a Phase III pivotal trial with planned expansion to USA, Canada and additional European sites. Manufacturing is performed via a CDMO partnership with CELLforCURE by SEQENS for scale, and CellProthera is expanding into ischemic stroke through a collaboration with Quintessence Biotech and University of South Florida.
The business model is pre-revenue and contingent on regulatory approval; revenue is expected from hospital reimbursement for the autologous cell therapy administered at specialized cardiac catheterization laboratories upon ATMP-classified marketing authorization, with potential early-access pathways in France following Phase II. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales targeting interventional cardiologists and academic medical centers, supported by scientific conference presence (ISCT, ESC Heart Failure), peer-reviewed publications, and earned media in French national outlets. Funding to date totals approximately €28.3M from private investors and family offices, with no institutional VC, PE, or strategic investor disclosed.
CellProthera firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CellProthera
- Legal name
- CellProthera SAS
- Website
- https://cellprothera.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- CellProthera is a French clinical-stage biotech developing ProtheraCytes, an autologous CD34+ stem cell therapy delivered via its C-CATHez catheter to regenerate cardiac tissue in patients with severe post-myocardial infarction heart failure, currently advancing to Phase III trials.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CellProthera industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cardiac Cell Therapy
- NAICS
- Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cell Therapy Developers (Autologous) (HLAAABAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Stem Cell–Based Regenerative Therapies (HLAAAGAA), Cardiovascular & Vascular Regeneration (vascular grafts, angiogenesis) (HLAAAGAJ), Bone Marrow & Stem Cell Transplant (BMT/HSCT) (HLAKAFAI), Cell Therapy CDMO (Autologous/Allogeneic Manufacturing) (HLAGAGAA)
Keywords
Where CellProthera is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Mulhouse
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
CellProthera business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- ProtheraCytes Cell Therapy: Autologous stem cell therapy for post-MI heart failure. Currently in Phase III preparation. Revenue will come from treatment reimbursement upon regulatory approval. Early access pathways possible in France following successful Phase II.
- Catheter Sales: Future royalties on net sales of C-CATHez catheter to Celyad Oncology, as part of the acquisition deal terms.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
CellProthera product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CellProthera develops ProtheraCytes, an autologous CD34+ stem cell therapy product derived from a patient's own blood, used to regenerate cardiac tissue following severe acute myocardial infarction. The therapy is administered as a single transendocardial injection 4-6 weeks post-MI using the proprietary C-CATHez catheter, with cells expanded on the company's automated StemXpand manufacturing platform under GMP conditions.
Product overview
CellProthera offers a unified regenerative cardiac therapy platform centered on ProtheraCytes, an autologous CD34+ stem cell therapy. The platform comprises StemXpand (automated cell expansion device) and StemPack (single-use production kits) for manufacturing the cell therapy, combined with the C-CATHez transendocardial catheter for precise cardiac delivery. The therapy is designed as a single administration to regenerate cardiac tissue in patients with severe myocardial infarction, preventing progression to chronic heart failure.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ProtheraCytes: The company's main cell therapy product - expanded autologous CD34+ stem cells for cardiac regeneration
- StemXpand
- StemPack
- StemFeed
Products and services
- ProtheraCytes Expanded autologous CD34+ stem cell therapy product derived from the patient's own blood. Cells are mobilized, harvested via blood draw (~200ml), expanded for 9 days using the StemXpand automated system (achieving >90% purity and ~98% viability), and injected transendocardially into damaged cardiac tissue 4-6 weeks post-MI to regenerate tissue and prevent chronic heart failure. Designed for severe MI patients with persistent left ventricular dysfunction (LVEF <50%).
- StemXpand Automated cell culture device platform for expanding patient-derived CD34+ stem cells at clinical scale under GMP conditions. Used as part of the integrated ProtheraCytes manufacturing ecosystem.
- StemPack Single-use production kit used in conjunction with the StemXpand automated device for clinical-grade, sterile manufacturing of the ProtheraCytes cell therapy.
- C-CATHez Transendocardial Catheter Single-use percutaneous catheter with deflectable tip for delivering stem cells (ProtheraCytes) directly into the myocardium. Features an adjustable, retractable beveled fine-gauge needle with predefined penetration depth, controlled tactile feedback, and compatibility with electro-anatomical mapping systems. Designed for transendocardial delivery of therapeutic agents in cardiac procedures.
Quantifiable outcome
- 9% reduction in left ventricular systolic volume index at 6 months
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use CellProthera
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
CellProthera technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
CellProthera partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.
- Quintessence BiotechmajorCollaboration to industrialize cell manufacturing processes ahead of stroke clinical trials. CellProthera will use Quintessence's DACSTM flotation-based cell sorting platform to enhance therapeutic purity for ischemic stroke indication.
- Celyad OncologycoreAcquisition of C-CATHez transendocardial catheter technology including all IP rights for up to €5M in milestone-based payments plus future royalties on net sales. Entirely deferred consideration. Gives CellProthera end-to-end integration from stem cell manufacturing to precise cardiac delivery.
- CELLforCURE (SEQENS)coreCDMO partnership for Phase III manufacturing and future commercialization of ProtheraCytes cell therapy. CellProthera previously built in-house manufacturing capability out of necessity before 2013, then partnered with CELLforCURE for scale-up. The CEO advocates for developing in-house capabilities when fundraising allows.
- University of South FloridamajorAcademic partnership for ischemic stroke research. Collaborating on preclinical data for CD34+ stem cell therapy in acute ischemic stroke. 87% of strokes are ischemic; second leading cause of death globally.
- Pr. David SmadjaminorAcademic collaborator who presented Phase I/2b quality of life results with ProtheraCytes at ISTH congress.
- Pr. Faïez ZannadminorProfessor of Therapeutics at Université de Lorraine, President of EXCELLENT trial steering committee. Presented Phase I/IIb results at Heart Failure 2024 conference.
- Pr. Jérôme RoncalliminorCardiologist at CHU Rangueil, Toulouse, and principal coordinator of EXCELLENT study. Leading investigator for cardiac cell therapy trials.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
CellProthera competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Capricor Therapeutics: Clinical-stage biotech developing cell therapy (dermato-cel/CAP-1002) for Duchenne muscular dystrophy-associated cardiomyopathy and other cardiac indications. Comparable in cardiac cell therapy focus and clinical stage.
- Mesoblast: Clinical-stage cell therapy company developing mesenchymal precursor cell therapies for cardiovascular indications including chronic heart failure. Most direct peer in autologous/allogeneic cardiac cell therapy space with late-stage assets.
- BioCardia: Cardiac cell therapy company developing the Helix transendocardial delivery catheter platform used to administer cell therapies to the myocardium. Comparable on the cardiac cell delivery side of CellProthera's stack.
- Heartseed: Japan-based clinical-stage company developing iPSC-derived cardiomyocyte cell therapy (HS-001) for heart failure. Competes in cardiac regeneration space with a different modality but same therapeutic goal.
- Pluristem Therapeutics: Clinical-stage cell therapy company using placenta-derived allogeneic adherent stromal cells for cardiovascular indications including heart failure. Comparable cell therapy approach targeting post-MI recovery.
Others
- Cellares: Cell therapy manufacturing automation company building closed-system platforms for cell therapy production. Comparable on the cell therapy manufacturing technology side of CellProthera's StemXpand ecosystem.
- Celyad Oncology: Former cardiac cell therapy developer that divested its C-CATHez catheter IP to CellProthera in February 2026. Strategic counterparty and historical peer in the same cardiac cell delivery category.
Broad incumbents
- BlueRock Therapeutics: Bayer-owned clinical-stage company developing iPSC-derived cardiac cell therapies for heart failure. Larger player with deep institutional backing pursuing cardiac regeneration with a pluripotent stem cell platform.
Emerging players
- Lexeo Therapeutics: Clinical-stage gene therapy company with cardiac programs targeting inherited and acquired heart disease. Emerging competitor in the broader cardiac regeneration space with a different delivery modality.
- Tenaya Therapeutics: Clinical-stage gene therapy company developing cardiac regenerative therapies (e.g., TN-201 for genetic cardiomyopathies). Adjacent modality competing for the same patient population in cardiac regeneration.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
CellProthera social profiles
Digital presenceCellProthera financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CellProthera leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
CellProthera funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CellProthera 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 CellProthera
What does CellProthera do?
CellProthera develops ProtheraCytes, an autologous CD34+ stem cell therapy product derived from a patient's own blood, used to regenerate cardiac tissue following severe acute myocardial infarction. The therapy is administered as a single transendocardial injection 4-6 weeks post-MI using the proprietary C-CATHez catheter, with cells expanded on the company's automated StemXpand manufacturing platform under GMP conditions.
Is CellProthera a public or private company?
CellProthera is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was CellProthera founded?
CellProthera was founded in 2008. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is CellProthera based?
CellProthera is headquartered in Mulhouse, France, in the Europe region.
How does CellProthera make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. ProtheraCytes Cell Therapy is the primary driver. The others are catheter Sales.
Who are CellProthera's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Capricor Therapeutics, Mesoblast, BioCardia, Heartseed and Pluristem Therapeutics. Others are Cellares and Celyad Oncology. BlueRock Therapeutics is listed as a broad incumbent. Emerging players are Lexeo Therapeutics and Tenaya Therapeutics.
Does CellProthera have an API?
No public API is recorded for CellProthera.
What industry is CellProthera in?
CellProthera's product category is Cardiac Cell Therapy. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAAABAA, Cell Therapy Developers (Autologous), with a secondary code of HLAAAGAA, Stem Cell–Based Regenerative Therapies. Its NAICS code is 325414.