A startup backed by Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg will use artificial intelligence to accelerate development of a Parkinson’s disease therapy originally from Novo Nordisk.
Biotech company Cellular Intelligence, backed by Mark Zuckerberg, has acquired STEM‑PD, a cell therapy candidate for Parkinson’s disease, from Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk. Novo Nordisk will also make a strategic investment in Cellular Intelligence. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the Danish drugmaker will receive an equity stake in Cellular Intelligence and may be eligible for future milestone payments and royalties.
Cellular Intelligence plans to use its proprietary AI platform to accelerate drug development, scale up manufacturing and reduce costs. Data generated during research will be used to further train the AI model.
The company believes this will differentiate its product from competitors. US‑based Aspen Neuroscience, for example, is also developing a cell therapy for Parkinson’s and is preparing for Phase III trials. However, unlike the Novo Nordisk asset, Aspen’s therapy uses the patient’s own cells rather than donor cells.
Cellular Intelligence chief executive Dr. Micha Breakstone said the deal with Novo Nordisk marks the company’s entry into neurodegenerative diseases using its AI platform for cell replacement therapy.
The drug, called STEM‑PD, is an allogeneic stem cell‑based therapy designed to replace the dopamine‑producing nerve cells that are lost in Parkinson’s disease. The progressive disorder causes tremor, muscle rigidity and slowed movement.
The therapy has already received Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) designation from the US Food and Drug Administration, which helps speed the development and review of drugs for serious conditions with unmet medical needs. The asset is now preparing to move into Phase II clinical trials. Upon completion, the FDA will consider the application for accelerated approval.
Novo Nordisk discontinued development of the therapy in October 2025 as part of the closure of its cell medicine unit during a major restructuring. At that time, the company laid off nearly all of the 250 employees working in the area. In January, it transferred its diabetes cell therapy assets to Canadian company Aspect Biosystems, with which it has been collaborating since 2023. Novo Nordisk is also investing in that startup.
Cellular Intelligence previously raised more than $60 million from investors, including Khosla Ventures and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative – the philanthropic organisation founded by Mark Zuckerberg.