MelliCell Inc., a biotech company pioneering adipocyte therapies for chronic disease, with the support of Mass General Brigham, one of the nation’s leading biomedical research organizations with several Harvard Medical School teaching hospitals, is proud to announce a prestigious award from the National Institutes of Health - National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIH/NIDDK) SEED Fund. This grant, part of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program, provides access to $1.2 billion in funding to support entrepreneurial and product development efforts.

“We are incredibly honored to receive this award from the NIH/NIDDK SEED Fund,” said Dr. Ben Pope, inventor of MelliCell’s core technology and a principal investigator on the work along with Dr. Luminita Pojoga, Associate Physiologist, Mass General Brigham, and Dr. Madhumita Basu, Principal Scientist at MelliCell. “This funding will help advance our work to unlock the potential of fat cells both as a therapeutic target and a source of novel biologic drugs.”

MelliCell’s foundational technology generates mature human fat tissue at scale, opening access to the tissue’s untapped potential as a target for chronic disease, a source of therapeutic adipokines, and a substrate for surgery and tissue engineering applications. This grant will support the company’s mission by specifically delivering innovative solutions that improve the health and well-being of individuals living with diabetes and obesity.

“We are excited to work with our colleagues to better understand heritable ways that adipocytes promote disease in different people,” states Dr. Pojoga. “I see near-term opportunities for patients relative to existing therapies, including a critical need to spare lean mass and improve tolerability for sustained weight loss with novel mechanisms of action.”

With the award, MelliCell and Mass General Brigham will test specific genetic mutations that change critical functional characteristics of fat cells and are associated with diabetes and obesity in humans. “This award is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our team, as well as our commitment to pushing the boundaries of what is possible in biotech,” emphasizes Dr. Basu. “We are excited to continue our journey towards making a meaningful impact in the lives of those living with chronic disease.”

The NIH/NIDDK SEED Fund is designed to help innovative small businesses turn groundbreaking discoveries into tangible health solutions. With this significant financial support, MelliCell Inc. is poised to accelerate its research and development initiatives aimed at addressing the growing global health challenges of chronic diseases including diabetes and obesity.

About MelliCell Inc.

MelliCell Inc. is pioneering curative therapeutics for chronic disease using groundbreaking adipose engineering technologies that generate mature human fat cells in vitro. Our mission is to use this technology to discover and develop adipocyte therapies to improve the health and lives of people worldwide.

For more information, please visit www.mellicell.com or contact Sunny Oworah at sunny@mellicell.com

MelliCell, the pioneering startup at the forefront of combating obesity and type 2 diabetes through innovative fat cell research, is delighted to announce the addition of Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, MD, MPH, MPA, MBA, FAAP, FACP, FAHA, FAMWA, FTOS, to its advisory board. This strategic move aligns with MelliCell's mission to revolutionize the treatment and understanding of metabolic diseases through advanced fat cell research.

Fatima Cody Stanford, an American obesity medicine physician, internist, and pediatrician and an associate professor of medicine and pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Stanford brings to MelliCell a rich legacy of expertise in obesity medicine as an Associate Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) / Harvard Medical School (HMS). Recognized globally for her extensive research and as one of the foremost obesity medicine physician-scientists, Dr. Stanford has contributed over 200 peer-reviewed publications to the medical community, solidifying her reputation as a leading voice in the fight against obesity. Her influence extends beyond academia; Dr. Stanford's insights on obesity and health disparities have been featured on major media platforms, including CNN and PBS, highlighting her role as a prominent advocate for public health.

"Dr. Stanford's comprehensive experience and pioneering achievements in obesity medicine are invaluable to our team," said Dr. Prince Nnah, CEO of MelliCell. "Her insights will significantly enhance our strategic direction and research initiatives as we continue to develop groundbreaking solutions for those affected by obesity and diabetes. Her visibility and advocacy on platforms like CNN and PBS underscore the relevance and urgency of our mission."

As MelliCell prepares for its upcoming funding round, the addition of Dr. Stanford to the advisory board marks a pivotal moment in the company's trajectory towards establishing new standards in metabolic disease treatment. Her strategic insights and deep understanding of obesity and metabolic diseases will be instrumental in guiding MelliCell's research and development efforts.

"Joining MelliCell's dynamic team is an exciting opportunity to advance the fight against obesity through our focused research on adipose tissue," expressed Dr. Stanford. "I'm passionate about contributing to the groundbreaking work we're doing here, which has the potential to reshape treatments for obesity and significantly impact diabetes management."

About MelliCell:
MelliCell Inc. is an innovative biotech company dedicated to the discovery and development of advanced treatment solutions for obesity, a precursor to a myriad of complications, including diabetes. By focusing on adipose tissue as an endocrine organ at the cellular level, MelliCell Inc. seeks to address the root cause of the disease, improving patient outcomes and advancing the field of biotechnology. Our research aims to unlock the potential of fat cells to regulate metabolic processes, offering new pathways to combat this global health challenge.

For more information, please visit www.mellicell.com

Research (SBIR) grant for $275,000 to conduct research and development (R&D) work on "Industrial Scale Technology for Drug Development in Mature Human Fat Cells." This project underscores MelliCell's commitment to revolutionizing obesity treatment by leveraging cellular-level insights to address the root causes of this global health challenge. The company's innovative approach promises to improve patient outcomes by tapping into the therapeutic potential of mature human fat cells.

"NSF accelerates the translation of emerging technologies into transformative new products and services," said Erwin Gianchandani, NSF Assistant Director for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships. "We take great pride in funding deep-technology startups and small businesses that will shape science and engineering results into meaningful solutions for today and tomorrow."

“This grant from the NSF is a testament to the ingenuity and potential impact of our work," said Prince Nnah, CEO/Founder of MelliCell Inc. "It is a pivotal step toward realizing our vision of transforming obesity treatment and underscores our core value of doing good in the world."

 

All proposals submitted to the NSF SBIR/STTR program, also known as America’s Seed Fund powered by NSF, undergo a rigorous merit-based review process. Once a small business is awarded a Phase I grant, it becomes eligible to apply for Phase II funding and additional supplements totaling up to $2 million. To get started, startups or entrepreneurs submit a written Project Pitch to see if their technology idea could be a good fit for the program. To learn more about America’s Seed Fund powered by NSF, visit: https://seedfund.nsf.gov/
 

NSF has several programs that help accelerate the translation of research results to practice and provide pathways for researchers, startups and aspiring entrepreneurs to move their ideas from the laboratory to the market and society. To learn more about how NSF helps unlock future technologies for national and societal impact, visit: https://beta.nsf.gov/tip/latest.
 

About the U.S. National Science Foundation's Small Business Programs:

America’s Seed Fund powered by NSF awards more than $200 million annually to startups and small businesses, transforming scientific discovery into products and services with commercial and societal impact. Startups working across almost all areas of science and technology can receive up to $2 million to support research and development, helping de-risk technology for commercial success. America’s Seed Fund is congressionally mandated through the Small Business Innovation Research program. The NSF is an independent federal agency with a budget of about $9.5 billion that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering.

"I was diagnosed with PCOS in my early 20’s. It has destroyed my Navy career and subjected me to doctors who didn’t want to research, shipmates who devalued me, and my own anxiety and depression over my body image. PCOS is a grossly underdiagnosed condition that’s poorly understood. It insidiously plunges your body into chaos. The potential to develop type II diabetes, unexplained weight gain, and hypertriglyceridemia are just a few symptoms I had to face at my peak physical condition. When the Rear Admiral that discharged me dismissed my appeal, I committed myself to research to help find a cure for metabolic diseases. No one should have to struggle through such a devastating disease like this with no hope of a cure.”

- Christina Pizza, PCOS Fighter and MelliCell Adipocyte Researcher
 

We are inspired by Christina and others who are working so hard to beat metabolic diseases that affect up to 88% of the population. Together, we can find a cure!

Partnership validates the use of new technology in drug discovery process and furthers the possibility of more effective drug development for obesity and type 2 diabetes.
MelliCell, Inc., a startup dedicated to reversing obesity and type 2 diabetes by targeting fat cells, announced today the completion of its partnership with Novo Nordisk, validating its M3 platform technology.

M3 technology, which enables maturation of human adipocytes in vitro, solved the 50-year old problem that has limited predictive power at the very first stage of drug development. The technology efficiently turns primary human preadipocytes into fat cells and accelerates their growth to sizes that are thousands of times larger than conventional methods and that match the sizes of mature fat cells in adults. Changes in fat cell size are how adults gain (or lose) weight, and increased fat cell size predicts diabetes better than obesity per se. MelliCell uses this proprietary model of weight gain in human fat cells to develop therapeutics for diabetes and obesity.

This newly developed bioengineering technology differentiates MelliCell and fuels the mission and belief within the company that a cure for diabetes and obesity will be found. This technology is poised to change the industry as a valuable mechanism for drug discovery.

As world leaders in diabetes care and innovation, Novo Nordisk supports and partners with organizations whose activities have a positive impact on diabetes and our other therapeutic areas of interest, including obesity. Novo Nordisk has pioneered the treatment of diabetes since the discovery of insulin 100 years ago. The partnership is one of several early milestones that MelliCell has completed in its short history.

“This is an important milestone not only for MelliCell, but the entire field of metabolic drug discovery. This demonstrates the ability of our platform to quickly test and optimize possible drug therapies for metabolic diseases,” said Prince Nnah, CEO and co-founder of MelliCell.

This successful milestone signals the initiation of MelliCell’s work with multiple pharmaceutical companies, with a focus on creating leads for new drugs that will help patients in need.

MelliCell, a startup dedicated to reversing obesity and type 2 diabetes by targeting fat cells, has announced today the close of its pre-seed round and the appointment of Todd Zion, Ph.D., President and CEO of Akston Biosciences, as a member of its advisory board.
 

Dr. Zion brings business, diabetes, and bioscience expertise to the board. Prior to his current role at Akston Biosciences, Dr. Zion was the founder and CEO of SmartCells, where he led the development of the first glucose-regulated insulin formulation, SmartInsulin. Dr. Zion took the diabetes-focused company from founding in 2003 to an acquisition in 2010.
 

"Dr. Zion is a wonderful addition to our advisory board as we pursue our goal to cure diabetes and obesity," said Dr. Prince Nnah, CEO of MelliCell. "Our company was founded at the beginning of the pandemic, and the devastation left in the wake of COVID-19 has made it clear that the need to address metabolic diseases is more urgent than ever before. We are grateful to all of our investors and advisors, like Dr. Zion, who support our efforts to get to the root of obesity and diabetes."
 

Since its inception in 2020, MelliCell's unique approach to tackling metabolic diseases has garnered excitement and support from industry leaders and investors. Joined in its most recent funding round was Kensington Capital and other angel investors. MelliCell's next funding round, a series seed, is planned for the third quarter this year.
 

"MelliCell has a vision and a novel approach that could revolutionize the treatment of the disease," said Dr. Zion. "I am thrilled to be in this role supporting them."

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mellicell-appoints-dr-todd-zion-founder-of-smartcells-and-akston-biosciences-to-advisory-board-301328263.html