Born in the US and raised in Switzerland, cellvie is seeking to bring about a new treatment modality: Therapeutic Mitochondria Transplantation, which was conceived at Harvard Medical School. It involves the transfer of viable mitochondria into cells where the energy metabolism has been compromised or is in need of amplification.
cellvie is pursuing this technology as a platform, seeking to establish the mitochondria’s potential in ischemia-reperfusion injury, gene therapy and aging related degeneration. The first application will be in heart-attack patients, an indication where cellvie’s co-founder showed the potential for a 60%-reduction in muscle damage in a corresponding large animal study. If the team succeeds, their work may spur a whole new industry around mitochondria as a category of medicines.