Stem Cell Therapy

for Osteoarthritis & Disc Disease

About Cell Technologies

Osteoarthritis (OA) and Degenerative Disk Disease are two common chronic diseases affecting millions of people globally with devastating medical and economic impacts. Cell Tech is a clinical stage biotech company advancing FDA and Health Canada-approved stem cell technology to market. Cell Tech’s unique position is based on our proprietary technology with a solid moat of 6 patents and multiple publications. Stem Cells are the cornerstone of contemporary regenerative medicine applications. 

Our autologous and allogeneic platforms can generate live, robust cGMP stem cells directly at the point of care and are engineered to regenerate damaged tissue. Our stem cells are the only ones able to specifically target and treat arthritis. Human studies validating the technology showed promising success. Cell Tech is launching a late-stage trial, is eyeing Exclusive Market Authorization (EMA) in Canada.

Our Mission

Arthritis, alongside Degenerative Disk Disease, presents significant challenges globally, both medically and economically. Cell Tech's mission is to alleviate these burdens with cutting-edge solutions.

Management and Directors

  • Dr. Shammaa is a pioneer scientist in the fields of cell therapy and biologics and holds several patents in the field. He conducted the first successful spinal discs repair using stem cells in Canada.

    Dr. Riam Shammaa, MD, founded several successful companies in the field biotechnology including Pallianera Pharma and Intellistem Technologies based on his own research. And he led the development of multiple successful therapeutics to the market.

    Dr. Shammaa worked in research at McGill University and in the private sector before completing his residency in family medicine at McGill University. He went on to complete a fellowship in Sports medicine at the University of Toronto. He is a published author and a world-renowned expert in cell therapy and translational medicine.

  • Sheona is experienced in providing public company and corporate secretary services, stakeholder relations, and corporate governance and human capital advisory. She currently holds the positions of Chief Executive Officer at Limelight Capital Services Inc. (September 2019 to present), Director of Corporate Relations at ARO Consulting Inc. (December 2021 to present), and Partner and Corporate Secretary at Black Spruce Industries Inc. (June 2010 to present). She previously held the position of Operations Manager and Securities Paralegal at Bacchus Law Corporation (December 2017 to September 2019). Sheona holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from Capilano University.

  • Katina is an experienced business-oriented lawyer. She provides advisory services on corporate strategy, public markets, corporate governance best practices, transactions , intellectual property, negotiation, privacy and international markets. Katina holds a law degree from York University -Osgoode Hall Law School and is licensed to practice law in the province of Ontario. She also holds a Master of Science from the University of Toronto and is a registered patent agent in Canada and the United States. Katina is also a Chartered Director.

  • Dr. Murphy graduated from Queen’s University with a degree in Life Science in 1988, and from the Queen’s School of Medicine in 1990. From 1990-1995, he completed his Anaesthesia training at Kingston General Hospital and Queen’s University.

    Dr. Murphy completed a Fellowship in Paediatric Anaesthesiology at Harvard-affiliated Boston Children’s Hospital from 1996-1997. He was an Assistant Professor at Queen’s University from 1997 until 2002 when he left to practice anesthesiology at Samaritan Medical Center in Watertown, New York. In 2003, Dr. Murphy became the Chair of Samaritan’s Anesthesiology Department and was instrumental in establishing the hospital’s first Pain Clinic.

    Dr. Murphy returned to Kingston, in 2008, to open KOPI, where he is presently Medical Director and again associated with Queens University as an assistant professor and resident teacher in interventional chronic pain.

    Dr. Murphy has a special interest in safe opioid prescribing and regenerative medicine. He has been an executive member of the OMA chronic pain section and is passionate about the safe provision of interventional care for patients who suffer from chronic pain.

  • Launa has over two decades of leadership experience in the life sciences sector. She currently holds. the positions of Senior Scientific and Clinical Advisor at Model Medicines (April 2024 to present), Board Chair at Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation (September 2020 to present), and Board Member at Edmonton Unlimited (April 2023 to present). Launa previously held the positions of Chief Operating Officer at TRIO - Translational Research Oncology (December 2015 through May 2022). Launa obtained her PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences (Neurochemistry) from the University of Alberta.

  • Dr. Robert T. Foster was most recently CEO of a New Jersey based biotech company focused on liver disease and fibrosis until his resignation in December 2023. He is currently an Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Alberta, and a Board member of Transcriptome Sciences Inc and Cell Technologies Inc. He previously served as a Board member of Aurinia Pharmaceuticals (Edmonton, Alberta and Rockville, Maryland), Isotechnika Pharma (Edmonton, Alberta), Ciclofilin Pharmaceuticals (Edmonton, Alberta and San Diego, California), the Alberta Economic Development Authority; a Council Member, Alberta Premier’s Advisory Council on Health; an Advisory Board Member, Industry Liaison Office, University of Alberta; Co-Chair and Board Member of BioAlberta; and on the Board of Management, Alberta Science and Research Authority. 

    Dr. Foster first began working on drug discovery and development in 1988 and has more than 30 years of pharmaceutical and biotech experience. He founded Isotechnika Pharma Inc. in 1993 and was its Chairman and CEO for approximately 21 years. During his tenure at Isotechnika, Dr. Foster discovered voclosporin, an immunosuppressive drug to treat autoimmune diseases.

    In 2002, Dr. Foster structured a USD $215 million licensing deal, Canada’s largest at the time, for voclosporin for kidney transplant immunosuppression with Hoffman-La Roche (Basel, Switzerland). Later, he was founding Chief Executive Officer, and subsequently Chief Scientific Officer, of Aurinia after it was acquired by Isotechnika in 2013. Voclosporin is the first ever FDA-approved oral therapy for lupus nephritis, marketed under the brand name Lupkynis®. Lupkynis® has also been approved by the European Commission which applies to all 27 European Union member states, as well as Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, and Northern Ireland. The drug has also been approved in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and Japan. Dr. Foster also founded Ciclofilin Pharmaceuticals which was acquired in 2016 by ContraVir Pharmaceuticals.

    In addition to pharmaceutical discovery and development, Dr. Foster also developed and obtained regulatory approvals for a commercially available 13C urea breath test, called Helikit®, for the diagnosis of H. pylori. Dr. Foster sold the Helikit® diagnostic test to Paladin Pharma Inc. in 2009.

    Dr. Foster holds undergraduate degrees including a chemistry major (BSc) and pharmacy (BScPharm) and has a post-graduate PharmD, a PhD in pharmaceutical sciences, and a DSc (Hon). Dr. Foster served as a tenured, Associate Professor in the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Alberta from 1988 to 1997. From 1990 to 1994, Dr. Foster was Medical Staff, Scientific and Research Associate in the Department of Laboratory Medicine at the Walter C. Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre.

    Dr. Foster has published approximately 230 papers, abstracts and book chapters focused on drug analysis, development, and pharmacometrics. He received the Outstanding Alumnus Award from the Faculty of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences (2018), received the Distinguished Alumni Award (2022), received the Alberta Order of Excellence (2024), and the Order of Canada (2025). He was named one of Alberta’s 50 Most Influential People in 2002, and on behalf of Isotechnika, received recognition as both Alberta Venture’s 3rd Fastest Growing Company, and Profit Magazine’s top 100 Fastest Growing Canadian Company in 2003. Dr. Foster previously served as Division Chairman of Pharmacy Practice at the University of Alberta and has acted as a consultant to many pharmaceutical companies. Dr. Foster is named as an inventor on more than 200 patents.

  • Dr. Moutih Rafei, Chief Scientific Officer of Defence Therapeutics, is an immunologist by training with a special focus on translational research in immuno-oncology. With a PhD in Experimental Medicine from McGill University, Dr. Rafei is a leader in the development of immune-related therapies for catastrophic illnesses. He has accumulated profound knowledge and insight in the fields of T-cell development, stem cell biology, cancer immunotherapy, and autoimmune diseases. His research has uncovered many seminal discoveries in thymopoiesis and cancer vaccination. Dr Rafei received over 20 awards and recognitions over the last 15 years. His research has resulted in over 75 presentations, 52 high-impact peer-reviewed publications, 5 reviews, 2 book chapters, 1 monograph, and 6 patents.

  • John Cavan brings more than 20 years of financial management experience in both the public and private sector companies. Prior to joining Cell Technologies, Mr. Cavan was CFO at Hepion Pharmaceutical. Prior to his role at Hepion, he was a consultant wit the Pine Hill Group where he was instrumental in completing over 10 IPO’s and financial transactions, including business combinations and strategic transactions. Preceding his role at Pine Hill Group, he served as Chief Accounting Officer at Aegerion Pharmaceuticals Inc. where he was instrumental in the company’s initial public offering, throught which Aegerion achieved $2 billion market capitalization. He has also held financial positions within the healthcare industry at AlgoRx Pharmaceutiacals Inc. and Alpharma. Mr. Carvan served in a variety of financial and operational positions early in his career during tenures with large multinational public companies, including Sony, American Express, International Speciality Products ( as Ashland Company) and Nestlé U.S.A. Mr. Cavan currently serves on the Board of Directors of Vantage Health Systems. He holds a B.B.A. in Accountancy from Iona College and an M.B.A. in Finance from Seton Hall University.