Semma Therapeutics develops stem cell-derived, insulin-producing beta cells combined with a protective delivery device aimed at providing a functional cure for insulin-dependent diabetes. The company’s proprietary processes generate billions of functional SC-beta cells that in preclinical studies were comparable to human islet beta cells and effectively controlled diabetes. Semma’s state-of-the-art cell delivery technology is designed to protect SC-beta cells from the patient’s immune system and to be surgically practical. The company plans to use proceeds from its recent financing to bring its lead encapsulated stem cell-derived islet program through clinical proof-of-concept and to explore additional regenerative medicine therapeutics. Semma was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in Cambridge, MA, with operations in Providence, RI. The company has strategic partnerships and investor relationships with Novartis, Medtronic and the JDRF T1D Fund. Semma Therapeutics is developing Stem Cell-derived Islet (SC-Islet) therapy to treat patients with type 1 diabetes who currently depend on insulin. Its core approach pairs proprietary SC-Islets with a cell delivery and immune protection strategy intended to shield transplanted cells from the patient’s immune system. The goal is to enable the beta cells to function as they do in non-diabetic individuals. The company is led by CEO Robert Millman and was founded in 2014. Semma is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Financially, the company has support from strategic and venture investors and recently received an additional undisclosed investment. Semma Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company developing cellular therapy for diabetes by generating stem-cell derived pancreatic islets (SC-islets). The company uses technology developed in Douglas Melton’s Harvard lab, which has been licensed to Semma, to create large supplies of insulin-producing islet cells from pluripotent stem cells. Semma’s program aims to derive pluripotent stem cells from a patient’s blood or skin, differentiate them into SC-islets, and transplant them back to circumvent allogeneic immune rejection and lifelong immunosuppression. Clinical evaluation and patient selection will be performed at UCLA, pluripotent stem-cell derivation and analysis at Cedars-Sinai, and manufacturing for Phase 1/2 clinical trials at City of Hope. Semma accepted a $5 million grant from the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) to fund development of this personalized cell therapy. The company is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and is also working to combine its proprietary cells with a device to provide an islet replacement without immunosuppression. Semma Therapeutics is developing a cell-based therapy for Type 1 diabetes that uses lab-grown, glucose-responsive human pancreatic beta cells. The company is commercializing a procedure reported by Doug Melton's lab in Cell that can generate large numbers of functional insulin-producing beta cells. Semma has an exclusive license to this breakthrough technology from Harvard and is focused on combining the proprietary cells with a device to provide beta cell replacement without immunosuppression. The company aims to bring this therapeutic option to the clinic to reduce or eliminate patients' reliance on daily insulin injections. Semma recently closed a $44 million Series A (equity and strategic funding) and signed an agreement with Novartis to advance the program through clinical proof-of-concept. The company is headquartered in Cambridge, MA, and Robert Millman is joining as CEO.

Total raised

$163M

Funding rounds

4

Latest round

Series B

Latest activity

Nov 2017