Abstract
Eli Lilly & Co. is partnering with Cambridge, Mass.-based Sigilon Therapeutics to develop encapsulated cell therapies for patients with type 1 diabetes. Sigilon will receive $63 million up front, an undisclosed equity investment from Lilly, and up to $410 million in milestone payments. Sigilon was founded in 2016 to make cell therapies that secrete proteins like antibodies, enzymes, and insulin in the body without causing a fibrotic immune response. The response, which immobilizes implanted cells, has stymied many previous attempts at cell therapy. Sigilon says it overcomes the response by coating its cells with a polymer called Afibromer, based on the research of scientific cofounders and MIT scientists Daniel Anderson and Robert Langer. The firm announced raising $23.5 million in series A funding in June 2017. In collaborating with Lilly, Sigilon will make Afibromer-encapsulated pancreatic beta cells—which are damaged or missing in type 1 diabetes patients—to be implanted in the
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
