Company Launches to Accelerate Development of a Novel CGT for Pediatric CP
Kidswell Bio and Treehill Partners have joined forces to create a new company aimed at accelerating the clinical development of a novel SHED stem cell therapy showing early efficacy signals for pediatric cerebral palsy (CP).
Japanese biotech, Kidswell Bio, and U.S. global healthcare asset and corporate development advisor, Treehill Partners, have partnered to launch U.S.-based regenerative medicine company, Kidswell USA. The new company will spearhead the clinical development of a novel cell therapy for pediatric CP, tasked with accelerating and de-risking development of Kidswell’s lead stem cell program (1).
Kidswell USA will focus on advancing SQ‑SHED — a cell therapy derived from stem cells sourced from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED) — currently under development by Kidswell as a regenerative platform for rare and intractable pediatric diseases. CP is the lead indication for the program, and the company reports that SQ‑SHED has already shown strong early signals of clinical efficacy in this setting.
SHED are postnatal non-invasively isolated stem cells that secrete cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors to promote tissue repair, angiogenesis, immunomodulation, and neuroprotection. Compared to other mesenchymal stem cells, they have high proliferation, low immunogenicity, and greater ethical accessibility, making them more attractive for regenerative therapies (2,3).
Partners of the new company highlighted the high unmet need in CP, where only symptomatic treatments are currently available. CP affects an estimated 1 in 345 children in the U.S., and the National Institutes of Health estimates that around 8,000 to 12,000 infants develop the condition each year (1). Underlining the demand for disease‑modifying therapies, rather than supportive care alone, Kidswell is positioning its SHED platform as a potential regenerative option that could go beyond symptom management for affected children.
“Kidswell is seeking to develop its most innovative therapies for the U.S. market, and to accelerate this process we have selected partners that will enable us to jointly create a clinical development roadmap. This will result in new therapies for underserved indications where patients have few alternative therapeutic options,” said Shinya Kurebayashi, President & CEO, Kidswell Bio Corporation, in a company press release (1).
“Too many promising therapies fail unnecessarily in clinical development or never reach patients due to inefficient development pathways and poor capital discipline,” added Ali Pashazadeh, CEO and Founder of Treehill Partners, in the press release (1). “Partnering with Kidswell will speed up the advancement of its cell therapy for pediatric cerebral palsy, a program with meaningful clinical potential and significant unmet need.”
The new company will combine Kidswell’s scientific and manufacturing expertise with Treehill’s clinical development optimization model to progress SQ‑SHED through clinical trials in the most cost‑effective way possible. Senior management of Kidswell USA will be provided by Treehill, which will use its experience in asset creation, operational oversight, and capital allocation to guide development, regulatory strategy, and commercial planning.
References
Kidswell Bio. Kidswell Bio and Treehill Partners Launch US-based Newco to Fast-Track Global Clinical Development of a Novel Cell and Gene Therapy for Paediatric Cerebral Palsy. Press release, Feb. 16, 2026.
Miura, M.; Gronthos, S.; Zhao, M; et al. SHED: Stem Cells from Human Exfoliated Deciduous Teeth. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 2003, 100(10), 5807–5812.
Mohd Nor, N.H.; Mansor, N.I.; Mohd Kashim, M.I.A.; et al. From Teeth to Therapy: A Review of Therapeutic Potential within the Secretome of Stem Cells from Human Exfoliated Deciduous Teeth. Int. J. Mol. Sci., 2023, 24(14), 11763.