Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated and TreeFrog Therapeutics have announced collaboration, with Vertex acquiring an exclusive license to TreeFrog’s cutting-edge cell manufacturing technology, C-Stem™ to revolutionize the production of Vertex’s cell therapies for type 1 diabetes (T1D).

TreeFrog’s C-Stem™ platform is engineered to replicate the natural microenvironment, facilitating exponential growth of cells in three dimensions (3D). This technology promises to support Vertex’s capacity to generate substantial quantities of fully differentiated cells essential for its T1D therapeutic portfolio.

Morrey Atkinson, Ph.D., Executive Vice President, Chief Technical Operations Officer, Head of Biopharmaceutical Sciences and Manufacturing Operations at Vertex, articulated the significance of the collaboration, stating, “Our goal is to transform the treatment of T1D, and our stem cell-derived, fully differentiated islet cell VX-880 Ph 1/2 program has demonstrated this potential.” He further expressed enthusiasm about leveraging TreeFrog’s C-Stem™ technology to scale up stem cell production, catering to the vast population affected by T1D.

Frédéric Desdouits, Ph.D., CEO of TreeFrog Therapeutics, echoed Atkinson's sentiment, highlighting the strategic alignment of the collaboration with Vertex's leadership in T1D cell therapy. Desdouits emphasized the opportunity to deploy and enhance C-Stem™ technology to address the pressing need for innovative T1D treatments. He affirmed, “This collaboration with Vertex advances our business strategy of helping bring best-in-class cell therapies to millions of people — both through our own therapeutic programs, and with best-in-class partners like Vertex.”

The collaboration represents a convergence of Vertex’s expertise in T1D and cell therapy with TreeFrog’s proficiency in cell therapy production and biology.