Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium, 2023/06/20: Cellaïon is a biotechnology company based in Mont-St-Guibert, active in the field of liver regenerative advanced therapy, an area of excellence in the life sciences industry in Wallonia. Its flagship product HepaStem®, in advanced clinical development, targets severe liver diseases, and in particular acute-on chronic liver failure (ACLF)

Dr Walid Abi-Saab has joined the board of Cellaïon as Independent Director. Dr Abi-Saab has more than 20 years of experience in pharmaceutical R&D in medium and large size companies such as Pfizer, AbbVie, Novartis, Shire and was Chief Medical Officer at Galapagos.
“We are very proud to welcome Walid in our Board. The medical and scientific expertise of Walid’s and his broad knowledge and experience in drug development up to market is a key extension of our Board to successfully bring Cellaïon to the next stage of an international liver company” says Dr Philippe Pouletty, Chairman of the Board of Director.

Dr Walid Abi-Saab said “Cellaïon is a great company working to address a serious unmet medical need. I have been impressed by the great science and the quality of the medical and clinical development; I believe HepaStem® promises to be the first in class approved advanced therapy in liver regenerative medicine”.

Prof Etienne Sokal, Hepatologist, founder, CEO of Cellaïon and Vice-Chairman of the Board added “ I am very enthusiastic to work in close hands with Walid on the current strategy but also on the future plans for HepaStem®, as a platform therapy able to bring innovative solutions for a broad spectrum of inflammatory liver diseases”.

Cellaïon also announces the appointment of Griet Goddemaer as Vice President of Clinical Development. Following the completion of the ongoing phase IIB Proof of concept for which conditional approval is expected, Griet Goddemaer will prepare the company for the advanced clinical stage development including phase III and post marketing studies in EU and North and South America.

“It’s great to welcome Griet ! Griet will bring our already solid team her executive expertise from a large international organization to develop further HepaStem® following the completion of the ongoing Dheliver Phase IIB trial, and bring this life saving therapy to the market for patients in need“ says Prof Etienne Sokal.

“I am very excited to be part of the Cellaïon team in the development of HepaStem®, aspiring to provide a solution for patients with an unmet medical need. It is very inspiring to see the drive for quality, powered by science and passion!” says Griet Goddemaer, Vice President Clinical Development.
Cellaïon is also delighted to announce that following the randomization and completion of the study of the first fifty patients in the phase IIB clinical study Dheliver in acute on chronic liver failure (ACLF), the Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) has evaluated positively the safety of HepaStem® and gave Cellaïon the green light to pursue the clinical trial as designed. “The safety package of HepaStem® is becoming stronger and stronger, and we look forward to demonstrate with Dheliver the life saving benefit of HepaStem® in ACLF patients” says Etienne Sokal.