King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre (KFSHRC) and Cellenkos Inc., a Texas based clinical stage biotech company, have signed a strategic international memorandum of understanding (MoU) following the Saudi-US Investment Forum 2025, underscoring KFSHRC's commitment to contributing to the advancement of medical innovation and strengthening strategic global collaborations and Cellenkos' resolve to develop T regulatory (Treg) Cell Therapies for treatment of rare diseases with unmet medical needs.
This landmark MoU establishes the foundation for strategic collaboration between KFSHRC and Cellenkos to launch the first clinical trial alliance between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States (US).
The partnership will begin with two clinical trials evaluating Cellenkos' Treg products for the treatment of Graft vs. Host Disease (GVHD) and Aplastic Anemia. This initiative will pave the way for expanding into neurodegenerative diseases, including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and cardiovascular disorders. Simultaneously, Cellenkos will assist KFSHRC in building local infrastructure for cell and gene therapy manufacturing, training, and education.
"We look forward to working together with Cellenkos in a way that serves our patients and supports the advancement of tailored therapeutic solutions," said Dr Majid bin Ibrahim Al Fayyadh, CEO of KFSHRC.
Dr Simrit Parmar, Founder of Cellenkos and Faculty at Texas A&M University said, "Having seen firsthand the sophistication of KFSHRC's bone marrow transplant programme—including locally manufactured CD19 CAR T therapies, we're confident that this collaboration will significantly reduce costs and improve patient access. By utilising KFSHRC's cord blood bank as a local source for manufacturing, we can optimise scalability and impact. This marks the beginning of a transformative era in Treg cell therapy for global healthcare."
