BioPlanta becomes BIONCaRT

Bm|t beteiligungsmanagement thüringen (bm|t), TGFS Technologiegründerfonds Sachsen, private investors and the founder are investing a seven-figure sum in BIONCaRT GmbH (formerly BioPlanta GmbH) in a seed financing round. The aim is to conduct a phase I/IIa clinical trial for the market authorisation of a human stem cell therapeutic for the treatment of focal cartilage damage in the knee joint.

Bm-t beteiligungsmanagement thüringen GmbH and TGFS Technologiegründerfonds Sachsen, together with private investors and the founder, have invested a seven-figure sum in the Saxon-Thuringian life science company BioPlanta as part of a seed financing programme. Having reached this important milestone, the company has now changed its name to BIONCaRT GmbH.

BIONCaRT has developed the product MesemCart, an allogeneic cell therapy (ATMP) that uses stem cells from umbilical cord tissue to treat acute or chronic cartilage damage in the knee joint. With the new funding, BIONCaRT plans to carry out clinical testing of the first allogeneic cell therapy based on human mesenchymal stromal cells in Europe for the described indication and to prepare the market launch of the product in Germany and Europe.
In the next three years, clinical trials (Phase I/IIa) will be conducted to demonstrate the safety of the ATMP and to confirm the results from the proof of concept. In particular, the focus is on significantly reducing pain and improving patients' quality of life. Further treatment goals are the complete integration of the cell-laden matrix and the formation of new hyaline cartilage. BIONCaRT is cooperating with the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology in Leipzig and the University Centre for Orthopaedics, Trauma and Plastic Surgery at TU Dresden and the Coordination Centre for Clinical Studies at TU Dresden. As soon as the first results of the Phase I/IIa study are available, MesemCart will apply for national marketing authorisation. The market launch of the therapeutic agent in Germany is scheduled to begin in 2027. Marketing of the product throughout Europe will begin after completion of the Phase III clinical trial and European marketing authorisation in 2030.

Further information
bm-t beteiligungsmanagement thüringen GmbH, based in Erfurt, is a subsidiary of Thüringer Aufbaubank and the leading address for venture capital and risk capital financing in Thüringen. The bm|t currently manages twelve funds with a total volume of around EUR 445 million, which invest in innovative companies in almost all sectors and in all phases of corporate development - both in the start-up and growth phases - or in corporate succession situations.

The TGFS Technologiegründerfonds Sachsen provides technology-orientated start-ups with equity capital for the seed and start-up phase. The fund was first launched in 2008 by the Free State of Saxony (including ERDF funds) and Saxon financial institutions and has since supported over 100 start-ups. The TGFS entered its third fund generation in 2023. The TGFS focuses on young, innovative, technology-orientated companies in the ITC, semiconductor and microsystems technology, medical technology, life science, environmental and energy technology and new media sectors that are based or have their headquarters in Saxony.

The BIONCaRT GmbH emerged from BioPlanta GmbH, which has been developing and manufacturing cell therapy products from mesenchymal stromal cells for clinical application in humans for several years and has carried out preclinical studies. As a research-based pharmaceutical company, BIONCaRT is involved in the translation of biomedical drugs for clinical application in humans, in particular for the treatment of orthopaedic diseases. The focus is on allogeneic therapy concepts (utilisation of cells from other patients) (www.bioncart.com).

Contact:

Dr André Gerth
Email: andre.gerth@bioncart.com

Source: Start - Bioncart