Cytotheryx

About Cytotheryx

Novavita Thera, formerly known as Cytotheryx Inc., is a preclinical gene therapy company that develops treatments for rare liver and metabolic diseases. Cytotheryx was founded in February 2019 by Exemplar Genetics and the Mayo Clinic, with key figures including CEO John Swart and CSO Dr. Joseph Lillegard. The company initially focused on creating a consistent and high-quality source of primary human hepatocytes (liver cells) for research and clinical applications.

In January 2022, Novavita Thera was acquired by Castle Creek Biosciences, a late-clinical stage cell and gene therapy company. This acquisition expanded Castle Creek's technology platform by adding Novavita's in vivo capabilities to its existing ex vivo approach. Following the acquisition, Dr. Joseph Lillegard joined Castle Creek as Chief Scientific Officer, and Dr. Robert A. Kaiser became Vice President of Preclinical Development.

The company's primary focus post-acquisition is the development of a gene therapy for hereditary tyrosinemia type 1 (HT1), a rare metabolic disorder that can lead to liver failure and is often fatal if untreated. The proposed therapy, LV-FAH, is based on a lentiviral vector that delivers a functional copy of the deficient human FAH gene directly to the patient's liver cells via the portal vein. This in vivo treatment is designed to address the root cause of the disease, for which a liver transplant is currently the only curative option. Castle Creek intended to submit an Investigational New Drug (IND) application to the FDA for this therapy.