News

CuraCell holds final advice meeting with German regulator PEI

January 17^th, 2024

CuraCell today held its second advice meeting with the German regulator PEI (Paul-Erlich Institut). The first meeting was held on the 27^th of October, focused on non-clinical questions related to the company’s first product, CC-38. Today’s meeting was dedicated to the study protocol.

The feedback received supports CuraCell to move ahead and prepare the clinical trial application for the phase 1/2a trial. The trial is planned to include both prostate and colorectal cancer patients.

Takura spins off Cellcolabs to Takura's shareholders

September 8^th, 2023

Takura completes the distribution of its shareholding in Cellcolabs AB to Takura’s shareholders. The total value of the dividend amounts to 225 MSEK, based on Cellcolab’s valuation in the latest financing round in March, 2023.

The spin-off of Cellcolabs follows Takura’s direction to focus on early-stage development of Biopharma companies. Cellcolabs is now ready for scale-up and to continue its journey as an independent company.

CuraCell selects IKF as CRO partner for its phase 1/2a trial

August 22^nd, 2023

CuraCell has signed a partnership agreement with the German Clinical Research Organisation, IKF, located in Frankfurt, Germany. IKF will support CuraCell in the preparation of the upcoming phase 1/2a trial and coordinate clinical operations throughout the trial.

IKF is specialized in investigator-initiated and industry-academia collaborative cancer research. Founded by oncologists, with more the 20 years of operations, the company has been involved in oncology trials across 300 centers world-wide.

Cellcolabs completes financing round of 49 MSEK

March 27th, 2023

Cellcolabs today announced the closing of a 49 MSEK equity financing round to fund the company’s next expansion phase. The funds will be used to scale-up operations for its first deliveries.

Takura’s shareholders were offered to participate as direct investors to Cellcolabs, as Takura previously has announced its plan to spin-off Cellcolabs to its owners. Several of the largest shareholders in Takura participated on a pro-rata basis, including the largest shareholder Anteris

Takura completes financing round of 47 MSEK

December 8th, 2022

Takura closes an oversubscribed equity financing round of 47 MSEK. The largest shareholder Anteris participates on a pro-rata basis alongside a mix of existing and well-known new Swedish individual investors.

The funds will be used to accelerate the development of CuraCell and StromaBio. CuraCell is preparing its phase 1/2a trial in solid cancer tumors. StromaBio is preparing a phase 2 trial in ARDS and will ramp-up pre-clinical activities in neurological diseases.

Cellcolabs is managed as an independent affiliate, governed by both Takura and the minority investor Norrsken Foundation, and plans a separate financing round in the beginning of 2023.

CuraCell signes collaboration agreement with Zellwerk-Berlin

October, 2022

Takura’s affiliate CuraCell signes collaboration agreement with Zellwerk-Berlin, a Specialized Contract Development & Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) with engagements in TIL, NK cells and Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSC), an affiliate of Hiper Group. CuraCell acquires the rights of Zellwerk Berlin’s TIL product (Tumor Infiltrating Lymfocytes), CC-38, for a large range of solid cancer tumors.

CC-38 has been used in patient named treatments in Germany demonstrating promising clinical results. The two companies will now join forces in optimizing and validating CC-38 for upcoming clinical trials. Through the collaboration CuraCell gets access to process engineering capabilities of Zellwerk Berlin’s R&D team and secures manufacturing capacity for its first clinical phase.

Change of Takura CEO

August 16th, 2022

Håkan Hallberg has successfully led Takura since its foundation to today’s position as a biocell portfolio development company active in both mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) and immuno oncology (TIL). Approaching retirement, Håkan now hands over the responsibility as CEO of Takura to Jonas Båtelson.

Jonas was engaged as consultant during the spring to support the work with Takura’s future development plan. He brings extensive experience from healthcare and life sciences from his previous roles in management consulting. He has also acted in various management and leadership positions in the technology and professional services sectors.

Takura portfolio company Cellcolabs completes 64 MSEK financing

March 23rd, 2022

Cellcolabs, specializing in industrial production of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) has raised 64 MSEK in an oversubscribed round. Both current owners Takura and Norrsken Foundation participated, and alongside them a number of well-known Swedish individual investors.

Cellcolabs has just moved to its brand-new production facility at Retzius väg 8 in Solna. The money will be used to scale production with the goal of lowering prices and making high quality MSC more broadly available for research and treatments.

Link to Dagens Industri article.

Gunnar Forssell, former strategy lead at Merck, joins Takura

June 30th, 2021

Takura is happy to strengthen its core team with Gunnar Forssell who will join towards the end of August as Executive Vice President Strategic Planning. Gunnar will also become the executive chairman of Takura’s immuno-onkology company CuraCell.

Gunnar has extensive experience from senior positions in the pharmaceutical industry globally. His most recent job was as Executive Director Strategic Planning at Merck Inc. Gunnar has spent most of his career in the US.

TAKURA presents at Financial Hearings

March 23rd, 2021

Takura’s executive chairman Per Båtelson presented the group on Stockholm Corporate Finance Financial Hearing today. The presentation and QA is 30 minutes and gives a high level overview of the group.

Takura acquires Polybiocept GmbH

July 14th, 2020

Takura has acquired all shares in clinical stage immuno-oncology company Polybiocept GmbH (PBC). Takura was already a minority owner in the company which owns a patent portfolio for TIL (tumor infiltrating lymphocytes) therapy. Immunotherapy is one of the fastest growing segments in the pharmaceutical industry and has the potential to revolutionize cancer care. PBC has a collaboration with Krankenhaus Nordwest (KHNW) in Frankfurt where 16 patients with solid cancers have been treated with PBC’s technology under hospital exemption. The company has now started to plan for a phase I clinical trial.

Takura joins forces with Abu Dhabi

September 26th, 2019