NEWCELLS BIOTECH LIMITED

Their core work

Newcells Biotech is a UK-based SME specializing in human cell-based assays and disease models, with particular strength in iPSC-derived cell technologies. They provide advanced cellular models — including organoids and photoreceptor cells — that enable researchers to study disease mechanisms and test therapies without relying on animal models. Their work spans inherited eye diseases (Stargardt disease), ciliary disorders, and chemical safety assessment, positioning them as a supplier of human-relevant in vitro tools for both pharmaceutical and toxicology applications.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Newcells' earliest H2020 involvement (2017, in3) focused on replacing animal models in toxicology and chemical safety — a broad applications-driven effort. From 2018 onward, their work shifted decisively toward rare genetic diseases, first with inherited blindness (StarT, 2018) and then ciliopathies (SCilS, 2020), employing increasingly sophisticated molecular tools like genome editing, organoids, and multi-omics. The trajectory shows a clear move from general safety testing toward specialized rare disease modelling with deeper molecular characterization.

Newcells is deepening its focus on organoid-based rare disease models with multi-omics characterization, making them an increasingly valuable partner for precision medicine and gene therapy consortia.

How they like to work

Newcells consistently participates as a partner rather than a coordinator, contributing specialized cell biology capabilities to larger training networks. With 40 unique partners across 14 countries from just 3 projects, they operate in sizeable international consortia (typical of MSCA training networks). This pattern suggests they are a trusted specialist contributor that larger academic groups bring in for their commercial cell model expertise.

Despite only 3 projects, Newcells has built a broad network of 40 partners across 14 countries, reflecting the large consortium structure of MSCA training networks. Their reach is genuinely pan-European, not concentrated in any single region.

What sets them apart

Newcells occupies a niche at the intersection of commercial cell model provision and academic rare disease research — a combination few SMEs can offer. As a private company embedded in MSCA training networks, they bring industry-grade cell assay platforms to academic consortia studying conditions like Stargardt disease and ciliopathies. For consortium builders, they offer a ready-made bridge between fundamental disease biology and translatable human cell models.

Highlights from their portfolio

• StarT
  Largest-funded project (EUR 303K) tackling Stargardt disease through a full pipeline from genomics to therapy development, combining genome editing with iPSC-derived photoreceptor models.
• SCilS
  Most recent project (2020-2024) representing their current strategic direction toward organoid-based disease modelling with multi-omics characterization of ciliopathies.
• in3
  Earliest project showing their foundational capability in animal-free chemical and nanomaterial safety assessment — a growing regulatory priority across Europe.