Seraxis Secures Maryland Grant for Pancreatic Islet Therapy to Cure T1D

Seraxis, Inc., a regenerative medicine company based in Germantown, Maryland, has been awarded a $400,000 grant from the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund (MSCRF). This funding aims to support the advancement of Seraxis' innovative pancreatic islet replacement therapies, primarily focusing on their preclinical SR-03 cell line. The grant will be used to expedite the characterization and efficacy testing of SR-03, a genetically modified pancreatic cell line designed for universal allogenic transplantation without the need for lifelong immune suppression.

The company is dedicated to developing transformative therapies for individuals with Type 1 diabetes (T1D) and insulin-requiring Type 2 diabetes (T2D), conditions that affect millions of people worldwide. CEO Dr. William Rust emphasized the impact of diabetes on over 1.4 million Americans who must manage their condition through daily glucose monitoring and insulin administration to prevent severe health complications. Dr. Rust highlighted that the MSCRF grant is crucial for advancing Seraxis’ mission to create an immune-compatible pancreatic islet transplant therapy, potentially offering a functional cure for those dependent on insulin.

Seraxis' lead program, SR-02, is set to commence clinical trials by late 2024 for patients with severe hypoglycemia. This therapy requires immune suppression and aims to provide a novel islet replacement solution. The follow-on program, SR-03, modifies these pancreatic clusters to evade immune detection, eliminating the need for chronic immune suppression and expanding its applicability to a broader patient population with T1D and insulin-requiring T2D.

The proprietary technology at Seraxis allows the creation of stem cell-derived therapies from single donated organs. The process involves deriving a stem cell line from a highly compatible human donor pancreas, which preferentially re-differentiates into pure pancreatic clusters. These clusters contain all the endocrine cells of native pancreatic islets, offering significant safety, potency, and manufacturing advantages over other stem cell sources.

Seraxis is supported by prominent investors including Frazier Life Sciences, Polaris Partners, Eli Lilly, and the T1D Fund. The company operates a cGMP facility in Maryland's I-270 Biotech Corridor, ensuring that their therapeutic pancreatic clusters are manufactured using scalable and clinically compliant processes.

The Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission, which awarded the grant, is dedicated to promoting innovative research and advancing regenerative medicine within the state. Their Accelerating Cures initiative supports the transition of stem cell technologies from research to clinical application and aims to foster the growth of stem cell companies in Maryland.

In summary, the $400,000 grant from the MSCRF will significantly boost Seraxis' efforts to validate and manufacture their SR-03 cell line, potentially offering a groundbreaking therapy for diabetes patients. This development aligns with Seraxis’ broader goals of providing cutting-edge, stem cell-derived treatments to improve the lives of those affected by diabetes.