PureTech Health Launches Celea Therapeutics to Transform the Treatment Landscape for Respiratory Diseases
PureTech Health plc (Nasdaq: PRTC, LSE: PRTC) (“PureTech” or the “Company”), a clinical-stage biotherapeutics company committed to developing groundbreaking therapies for patients with devastating conditions, has announced the formation of Celea Therapeutics (“Celea”), a new Founded Entity dedicated to advancing treatments for serious respiratory diseases.
The launch marks a significant milestone in PureTech’s mission to leverage its innovative development model—creating highly focused companies with the capital efficiency, specialized leadership, and strategic agility needed to bring transformative medicines to market.
Celea’s core mission is straightforward yet ambitious: to deliver therapies that dramatically improve the lives of people suffering from severe respiratory illnesses, with an initial focus on idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a rare, progressive, and ultimately fatal lung disease characterized by scarring of lung tissue.
A Lead Program with Transformational Potential
At the center of Celea’s pipeline is deupirfenidone (LYT-100), a Phase 3–ready therapeutic candidate that has shown promising results in addressing fibrotic and inflammatory lung conditions.
The drug is initially being developed for IPF, but its mechanism of action and clinical profile indicate the potential for application across multiple related pulmonary diseases.
IPF remains one of the most challenging respiratory conditions to treat. The disease causes irreversible lung scarring, leading to progressive loss of lung function and severely impaired quality of life. Current therapies—pirfenidone and nintedanib—offer only modest efficacy and are frequently associated with significant side effects, which limit their use in many patients.
Deupirfenidone, a deuterated form of pirfenidone, has been engineered to potentially overcome these limitations. By replacing certain hydrogen atoms with deuterium, the drug is designed to achieve enhanced pharmacokinetics, potentially improving tolerability and enabling higher efficacy without increasing toxicity.
Proven Leadership: Appointment of Dr. Sven Dethlefs as CEO of Celea
To lead Celea’s mission, Sven Dethlefs, PhD, has been appointed Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Dethlefs brings more than 25 years of experience in the global pharmaceutical industry, with expertise spanning commercialization, R&D strategy, operations, and business development.
He has been closely involved in the deupirfenidone program for over a year as part of PureTech’s leadership team, giving him deep insight into its development path and potential impact.
Before joining PureTech, Dr. Dethlefs held several senior roles at Teva Pharmaceuticals, including:
- CEO of Teva North America – overseeing an $8 billion portfolio of specialty branded and generic medicines in the U.S. and Canada.
- Global Head of Marketing and Portfolio – directing strategic positioning and market expansion for key assets.
- Head of Respiratory Medicines – leading R&D and commercialization efforts in a therapeutic area closely aligned with Celea’s mission.
- COO Operations – ensuring operational excellence across Teva’s manufacturing and supply chain systems.
One of his notable achievements at Teva was spearheading the launch of AUSTEDO®, a blockbuster treatment for tardive dyskinesia and Huntington’s disease. AUSTEDO® is also a deuterated medicine, making Dr. Dethlefs’ experience directly relevant to Celea’s lead asset.
Prior to Teva, Dr. Dethlefs worked as a partner at McKinsey & Company, where he advised leading life sciences companies on global strategy and innovation. He holds a PhD in Biochemistry, providing a scientific foundation for his leadership in drug development.
A CEO’s Vision for a New Standard in IPF Care
Speaking on his appointment, Dr. Dethlefs said:
“Bringing meaningful innovation to patients with serious diseases has been a consistent theme throughout my career, and I believe deupirfenidone has the potential to be a true turning point in the treatment of IPF. Our Phase 2b data demonstrated the potential for best-in-class efficacy with a favorable safety and tolerability profile—addressing two of the most critical limitations of current therapies. The strength of the clinical data, combined with the team and mission behind Celea, make this a uniquely compelling opportunity. I’m excited to lead the next phase of development as we work to deliver a new standard of care for people living with IPF and other debilitating lung conditions.”
His statement reflects the strategic focus Celea intends to maintain—advancing clinical programs with the dual goals of improving treatment efficacy and patient quality of life.
Encouraging Phase 2b Results and Regulatory Plans
PureTech completed a successful Phase 2b clinical trial of deupirfenidone in December 2024. The study evaluated the drug’s ability to reduce disease progression in patients with IPF while maintaining a favorable tolerability profile.
Key outcomes included:
- Potential for Best-in-Class Efficacy – Early signals indicated that deupirfenidone could outperform existing standard-of-care therapies in slowing the decline in lung function.
- Favorable Safety Profile – The incidence of common gastrointestinal side effects was lower than typically observed with pirfenidone.
- Improved Patient Compliance Potential – Better tolerability may support long-term adherence, a critical factor in chronic disease management.
The company plans to meet with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by the end of Q3 2025 to discuss the trial results and align on the design of the pivotal Phase 3 program. This meeting will be a decisive step toward potential regulatory approval.
Capital-Efficient Growth Model with External Funding Pathway
In line with PureTech’s capital-efficient innovation model, Celea will seek third-party financing to advance deupirfenidone through Phase 3 development and potential commercialization.
This structure allows PureTech to:
- Minimize Internal Capital Risk – By leveraging external investment, PureTech can share development costs while retaining potential upside.
- Focus on Core Capabilities – The model enables PureTech to concentrate on early-stage innovation and company creation.
- Empower Specialized Leadership – Giving Celea autonomy under experienced executives like Dr. Dethlefs ensures operational focus and accountability.
Robert Lyne, PureTech’s Interim Chief Executive Officer, emphasized the strategic importance of this approach:
“The launch of Celea is an important value driver for PureTech. Sven brings deep experience in respiratory medicine and a strong track record of commercial success, including having played a critical role in the growth of AUSTEDO®, a deuterated medicine developed using the same underlying chemistry approach as deupirfenidone. He is uniquely suited to lead Celea and advance this important program.”
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: The Unmet Need
IPF affects approximately 100,000 people in the United States and over 3 million globally. The disease is characterized by progressive lung scarring, which leads to worsening breathlessness and, ultimately, respiratory failure.
Median survival after diagnosis is typically 3 to 5 years, underscoring the urgency of developing new therapies.
Current treatment limitations include:
- Modest Clinical Benefit – Existing drugs slow disease progression but rarely halt it.
- Adverse Effects – Side effects like nausea, diarrhea, and liver toxicity often limit tolerability.
- No Cure – Lung transplantation remains the only definitive treatment, but it is an option for only a small fraction of patients.
Deupirfenidone’s enhanced safety profile and potential superior efficacy make it a strong candidate to disrupt the current treatment paradigm.
Celea’s Broader Ambitions Beyond IPF
While IPF is the initial focus, Celea sees broader applications for deupirfenidone and related therapeutic strategies in other fibrotic and inflammatory lung diseases, such as:
- Progressive Pulmonary Fibrosis (PPF) – A broader category of fibrotic lung diseases with similar pathophysiology to IPF.
- Systemic Sclerosis–Associated Interstitial Lung Disease (SSc-ILD) – A serious autoimmune-related lung condition.
- Chronic Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis (CHP) – An inflammatory lung disease triggered by environmental exposures.
By pursuing multiple indications, Celea aims to build a platform portfolio that maximizes the value of its core technology while addressing a broader patient population.
Positioning for Long-Term Impact
The launch of Celea Therapeutics represents more than just the creation of a new company—it is a strategic step in PureTech’s evolution as a biotech innovation engine.
By combining:
- A Phase 3–ready asset with strong clinical backing,
- An experienced and proven leadership team,
- A capital-efficient funding approach, and
- A focus on significant unmet medical needs,
PureTech and Celea are positioning themselves to make a meaningful difference in the lives of patients while delivering value for stakeholders.
Over the next 12 to 18 months, key milestones for Celea will include:
- FDA End-of-Phase 2 Meeting – Expected by Q3 2025, to finalize Phase 3 trial design.
- Initiation of Phase 3 Program – Targeted shortly after regulatory alignment.
- Strategic Partnerships or Funding Agreements – Securing capital to advance through late-stage development.
- Pipeline Expansion – Evaluating deupirfenidone in additional fibrotic and inflammatory lung conditions.
With a clear vision, solid leadership, and a drug candidate that could redefine standards of care in respiratory medicine, Celea Therapeutics enters the biotech landscape with strong momentum.
About PureTech Health
PureTech Health plc is a clinical-stage biotherapeutics company dedicated to discovering, developing, and commercializing new medicines to address serious diseases with high unmet need. The company’s innovation model involves creating and advancing Founded Entities like Celea, which operate with focused leadership and funding strategies to accelerate the path from discovery to patient impact.
About Celea Therapeutics
Celea Therapeutics is a biotechnology company committed to developing transformative therapies for severe respiratory diseases. Its lead program, deupirfenidone, is in late-stage development for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and holds potential across a range of fibrotic lung conditions.
