Singapore's CellResearch Corporation (CRC) has received an ‘Innovation Passport’ for its stem cell therapy CorLiCyte™ under the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s (MHRA) Innovative Licensing and Access Pathway (ILAP). CRC is the first Singapore-based company, and one of only around 20 companies globally, to announce it has received the designation.

Awarded for the treatment of Chronic Diabetic Foot Ulcers (DFUs), this treatment had it's Investigational New Drug (IND) application accepted by the U.S. FDA in December 2018. CorLiCyte™ is currently undergoing Phase 1 of a USFDA trial to close chronic DFUs at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. This award will accelerate access to CorLiCyte™ for patients suffering from a DFU in the UK.  

Recognizing CorLiCyte™ as a highly innovative technology platform, UK regulatory will collaborate with CRC on the development of this therapy and to facilitate its access to the UK market. 

Chief Scientific Officer Dr Phan Toan Thang says, “Umbilical cord lining technology is exciting because its applications range from chronic diabetic foot ulcers to other difficult to heal wounds such as venous ulcers and burns. There is also the promise of future treatments for other diseases such as lupus, age-related macular degeneration and other auto-immune conditions”.

The Singapore government has recently awarded CRC grant funding totaling S$16 million to support the development of a number of these projects utilizing CRC’s patented technology. Part of the agreement involves the establishment of a joint laboratory with the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), to which the government will contribute S$6 million. IMCB is a national research institution based in Singapore and funded by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR).