[Geneva, Switzerland, Thursday 29th January 2026] — MPC Therapeutics, a biotechnology startup pioneering mitochondrial reprogramming for cell rejuvenation, today announced the commercial launch of MitoStem™, a universal T-cell quality enhancer designed to increase stem cell memory T cells (Tscm)—a T-cell subtype strongly associated with durable and effective CAR-T therapies.

 

MitoStem™ reprograms cell metabolism to bias T-cell fate toward long-lived immune memory, without requiring changes to existing manufacturing protocols. Fully compatible with leading cell culture media & culture vessels, MitoStem™ can be easily integrated into any T-cell process to improve product quality and consistency.

 

“Metabolic modulation has the potential to rejuvenate a wide panel of cell types, both ex vivo and in vivo,” said Raphaël Martinou, CEO of MPC Therapeutics, commercialising MitoStemTM is the fastest way for us to help patients, but we are working to rapidly expand our product portfolio.”

 

Years of Mitochondrial Metabolism Expertise

Building on the works of professor Jean-Claude Martinou (UNIGE) and Dr. Mathias Wenes (UNIGE, formerly at UNIL), the company has been working at the intersection of immunology and mitochondrial metabolism for numerous years to develop MitoStem™. The product builds on peer-reviewed research demonstrating that modulation of mitochondrial pyruvate transport can drive T-cell stemness and immune memory formation, with published in vivo data showing improved tumor clearance and long-term protection.

 

“Tscm are clearly associated with improved clinical outcomes. Consistently generating stem cell memory T cells is one of the most powerful levers to improve CAR-T durability.” said Mathias Wenes CTO of MPC Therapeutics. “MitoStem™, which can be easily added to any process, could enable many CAR-T cell therapies to become more effective and more durable—without lengthy media optimization or complex genetic re-engineering.”

 

Universal Compatibility, Built for Translation

Unlike approaches that require extensive process redevelopment, MitoStem™ is protocol-agnostic and traceable, washable, and analytically detectable—supporting process control and regulatory confidence. Across donors and clinical-grade media, MitoStem™ consistently increases Tscm frequency while preserving cell viability and CD4/CD8 balance.

 

A Direct-to-Market Model to Accelerate Patient Impact

In a departure from traditional biotech commercialization strategies, MPC Therapeutics is making MitoStem™ directly available to the global research and cell therapy development community. This direct-to-market approach is designed to accelerate adoption, enable rapid discovery of new applications, and ultimately shorten the path from innovation to patient impact.

 

“We have strong data in T cells, but the market potential for MitoStem™ in cell and gene therapies and biomanufacturing is much broader,” said Augustin de Bettignies, CBO of MPC Therapeutics. “It’s a bold move to commercialise the product by ourselves, but business model innovation is also critical to accelerate scientific innovation. Our model will accelerate the validation of new applications in other cell types, expanding our market potential in the process”.

 

​

About MitoStem™

MitoStem™ is a dry-powder, small molecule formulation composed of metabolically active small molecules that target mitochondrial bioenergetics. It is designed to increase the number and proportion of stem cell memory T cells in the final product—potentially enabling lower cell doses and longer-lasting patient responses.

 

About MPC Therapeutics

MPC Therapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on mitochondrial reprogramming for cell rejuvenation. By translating cutting-edge metabolic science into simple, scalable tools, MPC Therapeutics aims to amplify the effectiveness and durability of next-generation cell therapies.

 

For more information, visit www.mpc-therapeutics.com or contact contact@mpc-therapeutics.com.