Cellectis, a leader in the development of adoptive immunotherapies based on engineered allogeneic CART cells (UCART), announces the sale of its subsidiary Cellectis AB to the Japanese Company Takara Bio Inc.

This operation, which will be realised in the coming weeks subject to the completion of certain usual conditions, is for Cellectis the extension to its strategic therapeutic focus. The company now concentrates its activities in the field of oncology through the development of Chimeric Antigen Recepto r T cell (CAR-T) immunotherapy products generated through its allogeneic CAR-T platform
bothon its own as well as in partnership with Servier and Pfizer.

Cellectis AB is a biotechnology company focused on applications of human embryonic stem cell (hES) based products and technologies for the Industry and the research community.

The quick downturn of the market had led Cellectis SA to restructure in 2013 its heavily loss-making “Tools and Services” Business Unit. The sale of Cellectis AB is the last step of the reorganisation of this Business Unit which in 2013 recorded an operating loss of 14 million euros before booking of extraordinary depreciation and of the costs related to the company downsizing.

The financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed. It will lead to a loss of about €5 million in 2014  Cellectis’ books.