cellvie Secures Innosuisse Funding to Advance Mitochondrial Gene Therapy

cellvie AG is thrilled to announce that it has been awarded a grant under the highly competitive Swiss Innovation Project (SIP) scheme of Innosuisse. Known for supporting groundbreaking Swiss technologies, the Innosuisse SIP initiative funds innovative and impactful projects, which demonstrate technical and scientific excellence, along with strong economic potential.

The funded project will further establish and advance the use of mitochondria as delivery vectors for gene therapy payloads, a novel approach that could open new frontiers in gene therapy. Mitochondria, often called the powerhouses of the cell, are being studied for their ability to carry therapeutic agents directly into cells, offering a potentially safer and more effective alternative to current methods such as lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) or viral vectors.

cellvie’s research is focused on further establishing three key advantages that mitochondria hold over existing delivery technologies:

1. Tissue specificity – Early studies suggest that mitochondria can be used to deliver oligonucleotides to solid organs, beyond the liver, through minimally invasive techniques.

2. Enhanced safety profile – Mitochondria do not elicit significant immune responses, even at high doses, and are naturally broken down by the body within days to weeks. This makes them ideal for repeated dosing without adverse effects.

3. Greater payload capacity – Compared to LNPs and viral vectors, mitochondria are considerably larger, enabling them to transport more molecules per particle. This includes large oligonucleotides and the ability to carry multiple different oligonucleotides simultaneously.

Once taken up by cells via endocytosis, mitochondria are capable of releasing their genetic payload into the cytoplasm or nucleus, making them a versatile and efficient delivery platform.

The project has a total budget of CHF 2.1 million, with 70% of the costs covered by the Innosuisse grant. This funding will allow cellvie to advance its pipeline to a point that venture investments or strategic collaborations for mitochondria-enabled gene therapy are within reach.

"This grant underlines the platform potential of mitochondria and will enable the accelerated development of mitochondria-enabled gene therapy, in addition to our ongoing work in ischemia-reperfusion injury” said Dr. Alexander Schueller, Founder & CEO of cellvie.

We are deeply thankful for the support of Innosuisse, and the associated trust in our technology and abilities.

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