King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre and Cellenkos Inc. Forge Landmark U.S.-Saudi Clinical Trial Alliance for Advanced Cell Therapies

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia & HOUSTON, May 22, 2025 – King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre (KFSHRC), a leading medical institution in the Middle East, and Cellenkos® Inc., a Texas-based clinical-stage biotech company, today announced a strategic international Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). This landmark agreement, signed following the Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum 2025, signifies KFSHRC’s dedication to global medical innovation and Cellenkos’ commitment to developing T regulatory (Treg) Cell Therapies for rare diseases with significant unmet medical needs.

The MOU establishes the first-of-its-kind clinical trial alliance between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States. The partnership will immediately launch two clinical trials evaluating Cellenkos’ Treg products for treating Graft vs. Host Disease (GVHD) and Aplastic Anemia – conditions posing serious challenges for many patients. This foundational collaboration is poised to expand into neurodegenerative diseases, including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), and cardiovascular disorders. Concurrently, Cellenkos will provide crucial assistance to KFSHRC in establishing robust local infrastructure for cell and gene therapy manufacturing, training, and education, further strengthening the Kingdom’s biotechnology capabilities.

His Excellency Dr. Majid bin Ibrahim Al Fayyadh, CEO of KFSHRC, emphasized the patient-centric focus: “At KFSHRC, we remain deeply committed to improving treatment options for patients with Aplastic Anemia and GVHD. We are eager to collaborate with Cellenkos to advance tailored therapeutic solutions that will directly benefit individuals and families under our care.”

Dr. Simrit Parmar, Founder of Cellenkos and Faculty at Texas A&M University, highlighted the strategic advantages: “We are thrilled about this partnership and the opportunity to work alongside a world-class institution like KFSHRC. Having witnessed the sophistication of KFSHRC’s bone marrow transplant program, including their local CD19 CAR T manufacturing, we are confident this collaboration will significantly reduce costs and improve patient access. Leveraging KFSHRC’s cord blood bank as a local manufacturing source will optimize scalability and global impact. This marks the beginning of a transformative era for Treg cell therapy in global healthcare.”

About King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre (KFSHRC) Established in 1975, KFSHRC is a globally recognized leader in healthcare, research, and education. Consistently ranked among the world’s top academic medical centers (e.g., #15 globally, #1 in MENA), it is dedicated to providing world-class medical care and advancing healthcare standards. KFSHRC performs over 300 Bone Marrow/Hematopoietic Stem Cell transplants annually, including 250 allogeneic transplants (11% for Aplastic Anemia, 5% for Congenital BM Failure Syndromes, 12% for other bone marrow failure syndromes). The hospital has extensive experience with advanced cell-based therapies, performing 58 CAR T treatments in 2024 alone, and has conducted over 10 CAR T and Gene Therapy clinical trials. It is also recognized as the most valuable healthcare brand in the Middle East by Brand Finance 2024 and one of Newsweek’s World’s Best Smart Hospitals for 2025.

About Cellenkos® Inc. Cellenkos is a clinical-stage biotech company based in Houston, Texas, focused on developing innovative T regulatory (Treg) Cell Therapies. The company is dedicated to addressing unmet medical needs in rare diseases, with initial clinical programs targeting Graft vs. Host Disease and Aplastic Anemia, and future expansion planned for neurodegenerative diseases and cardiovascular disorders.