Roche Celebrates Inauguration of Roche Accelerator China with Board Visit; XellSmart Biomedical Joins as Stem Cell Therapy Innovator

Dr. Severin Schwan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Roche Group, said at the ceremony:"I have personally experienced the innovative vitality and enormous potential here. We not only regard China as an important market, but are also committed to making China an innovation hub through open collaboration, bringing better healthcare solutions to patients in China and around the world. The Roche China Accelerator is a testament to empowering the local innovation ecosystem, and we hope to work hand-in-hand with partners in the ecosystem to accelerate innovation for the benefit of more patients."

Fig. | Roche Group Board of DirectorsDr. Schwan, Chairman of Roche, Delivers Speech at the Inauguration Ceremony of Roche China Accelerator

Figure | Representatives from Roche Group's Board of Directors and Roche China Leadership Team attend the milestone ceremony

Figure | Roche Accelerator Selected Member Company (XsellSmart)

Dr. Li Xiang successively studied under several world-class scientists in the field of iPS-derived cells. As the first author or corresponding author, he published more than ten papers in top international journals such as Cell Stem Cell, with over a thousand citations. His research achievements were selected as the cover paper of Cell Stem Cell and the annual best paper of Cell Stem Cell, among others. Later, Dr. Li Xiang held key R&D positions and senior management positions at the Parkinson's Foundation in the United States, the U.S. iPS-derived cell therapy industry, and a publicly listed pharmaceutical company in China.

XsellSmart has assembled a full-time team with international competitiveness and industry background.The core team members of XsellSmart come from renowned universities and institutions both in China and abroad, including Peking University, Tsinghua University, Fudan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Tongji University, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, as well as the University of Wisconsin and Johns Hopkins University in the United States, or from well-known companies in the cell therapy industry. The team possesses the most cutting-edge stem cell treatment technologies and translational experience in the international and industrial fields.

XsellSmart collaborates with multiple renowned universities, institutions, and Class III Grade A hospitals in China on related technologies and early clinical development. It serves as a member of the Professional Committee for Cell and Gene Therapy Product Regulation under the China Association for the Study of Drug Regulation, and as the vice-chairman unit of the China Stem Cell Industry Alliance, while also establishing a postdoctoral incubation station in Suzhou Industrial Park.

XsellSmart has operated a research and development center, a B+A grade GMP facility, and a quality control center totaling over 5,000 square meters. The company’s leading R&D pipeline for iPS-derived cell therapy for Parkinson's disease has completed core CMC development, established a complete clinical-grade process and quality control system, and successfully conducted the formal pilot production of clinical-grade neural cell therapeutic products. Preclinical studies on small and large animal models of Parkinson's disease have demonstrated safety and significant efficacy.XsellSmart's First Pipeline for iPS Differentiation into Dopamine Neuron Precursor Cells for Parkinson’s Disease Treatment Expected to Enter Registration Clinical Trial Phase in 2024.