Philadelphia Biotech Executive Ready to take Promising Stem Cell therapy to the Clinic

Kyttaro Therapeutics COO, Eric Hacherl, announces intention to establish a Philadelphia-based R&D operation to quickly take their lead product into Phase I-II trials in the US.

By Chris Frew
September 28, 2023

Following his last role as VP and Head of Manufacturing at Spark Therapeutics, Eric Hacherl has joined Kyttaro Therapeutics, a new stem cell therapeutics startup, as COO to help take their lead product into Phase 1 clinical trials. Hacherl has made a name for himself through his accomplished 25-year career at large, industry-leading companies such as Merck, Noramco, Catalent, and Spark. The move to a startup company may be new to him, but he brings a wealth of know-how and relationships to make a real impact.

Kyttaro Therapeutics is commercializing several genetically modified mesenchymal stem cell lines with target applications in Graft vs Host Disease, CAR T-cell therapy, and Diabetes, among others. Their lead product for graft versus host disease (GvHD) is an MSC modified to produce the acute-phase alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) protein. Preclinical experiments have shown superior results to naive stem cell or AAT therapy alone for GvHD and type 1 diabetes mellitus and lung diseases.

Hacherl joined a panel at the recent Philly BuildsBio+ event to introduce the new company and discuss what makes Philadelphia a great ecosystem for commercializing Innovations into products.  “I am a Philadelphia area resident, and wherever I am with my computer bag is where Kyttaro is,” he shared.  “What we are looking to do is start an R&D lab, so we’re looking closely at the incubator spaces such as Biolabs, B-labs and CIC to establish our home base in Philadelphia.”

Kyttaro’s proven expertise and intellectual property consists of 58 patents for cutting-edge applications for genetically modified stem cells, including  MSC Alpha-1 Antitrypsin (MSC-AAT), MSC Cytokines (MSC-Cyt), and MSC Longevity (MSC-Klotho).   The IP was acquired from Apceth Biopharma GmbH as part of a deal with Hitachi Chemical, who purchased a cell manufacturing operation for $90M from Apceth but wasn’t interested in the pre-commercial assets.

With so much research and development already accomplished for the three MSC cell lines, Kyttaro is a company poised to move fast and well-positioned to initiate clinical trials in the US in the near-future.   “We are ready to mobilize this IP with the first product that was already close to starting a phase I-II clinical study in Germany for Graft vs Host Disease”, shared Hacherl.

Nancy J Kelley + Associates (NJK+A), along with strategic scientific and business partners, founded Kyttaro Therapeutics and acquired exclusive license to the patent portfolio, as well as access to all relevant know-how.  With a strong Scientific Advisory Board, collaborations with a global clinical research organization for clinical trial management, and reputable clinical partners from renowned US universities, Kyttaro is well positioned to commercialize its technology.