Secretome's Neonatal Cell Therapy Aims to Mend Hearts at JPM 2026

PLANO, TX – December 29, 2025 – As the global healthcare industry prepares to converge in San Francisco for its most important annual event, one clinical-stage biotechnology company is poised to capture the attention of investors and partners with a novel approach to one of medicine's most formidable challenges. Secretome Therapeutics has announced it will present its pioneering work on neonatal cardiac progenitor cell (nCPC) therapies at the prestigious 2026 J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference on January 15.

The presentation will provide a crucial update on the company's lead asset, STM-01, a first-in-class cellular therapy currently being evaluated in two Phase 1 clinical trials for different forms of heart failure. For a company at this stage, the J.P. Morgan conference is more than a presentation; it's a high-stakes audition on the world stage, offering a platform to secure the funding and collaborations necessary to turn breakthrough science into life-saving medicine.

The Science of a Younger Heart

At the core of Secretome's strategy is a unique biological asset: neonatal cardiac progenitor cells. These are powerful stem cells sourced from newborn hearts, which researchers believe possess a significantly greater regenerative potential than their adult counterparts. Unlike adult stem cells, nCPCs are genetically programmed during early development with the explicit purpose of building the heart's complex structures. This inherent biological directive is what makes them so compelling for therapeutic use.

Preclinical research has yielded remarkable results. In animal models of heart attack, neonatal cardiac stem cells demonstrated a threefold greater ability to restore heart function compared to adult cells, leading to stronger, more efficient cardiac pumping. Secretome's therapy, STM-01, is an allogeneic, or "off-the-shelf," product derived from these nCPCs. Its proposed mechanism of action is multifaceted, designed to decrease the chronic inflammation and inhibit the fibrosis, or scarring, that are hallmarks of heart failure. By modulating these damaging pathways, the therapy aims to support the repair of existing heart tissue and improve overall myocardial function.

“We look forward to presenting at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference and sharing our clinical progress and long-term vision with the global healthcare investment community,” said Vinny Jindal, President and CEO of Secretome Therapeutics, in a recent statement. “This conference provides a valuable opportunity to highlight the potential of our nCPC-derived therapies to address significant unmet needs in cardiovascular disease.”

Targeting an Unmet Need in Heart Failure

Secretome is initially targeting two distinct but devastating forms of heart failure. The first is heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), a condition that accounts for more than half of all heart failure diagnoses. In HFpEF, the heart muscle contracts normally but the ventricles become stiff, preventing them from filling adequately with blood. It is a notoriously difficult-to-treat disease with very few effective therapies.

In a significant milestone, Secretome has already dosed the first patient in its Phase 1 clinical trial for HFpEF (NCT06560762). This open-label, ascending-dose study is the first-in-human trial to assess an allogeneic stem cell therapy for this specific condition. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recognized the therapy's potential by granting STM-01 Fast Track designation in March 2025, a move designed to expedite the review of drugs that treat serious conditions and fill an unmet medical need.

The second target is dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a condition where the heart's main pumping chamber becomes enlarged and weakened. Secretome has initiated a separate Phase 1 trial for young adults with DCM, funded by a grant from The Marcus Foundation. With proof-of-concept data from these initial trials expected by the third quarter of 2025, the timing of the J.P. Morgan presentation could be pivotal.

The commercial opportunity is immense. The global heart failure market was valued at over $6 billion in 2023 and is projected by some analysts to surge to $18.5 billion by 2034, driven by an aging population and the high prevalence of cardiovascular disease.

A Strategic Pitch for the Future

The J.P. Morgan conference is a critical juncture for companies like Secretome. Investor sentiment in the biotech sector often leans towards "cautious optimism," with a sharp focus on de-risked assets and experienced management teams. Secretome arrives in San Francisco with considerable momentum. The company successfully closed a $20.4 million financing round in November 2024, providing an operational runway through mid-2026. This funding, combined with the FDA's Fast Track designation and the initiation of human trials, helps build a compelling case for investors and potential pharmaceutical partners.

Beyond the immediate focus on heart disease, the company is also developing a broader platform. Its pipeline includes STM-21, a secretome-based therapeutic in preclinical development. Unlike a cellular therapy, a secretome-based product uses the beneficial molecules and proteins secreted by the cells rather than the cells themselves. This approach is being explored for inflammatory conditions, including complex skin wounds and co-morbidities associated with diabetes, showcasing the versatility of the company's underlying technology.

As Secretome's leadership prepares for their 25-minute presentation and subsequent one-on-one meetings, they will be articulating not just the science of their nCPC platform but a comprehensive strategy for clinical development, manufacturing scale-up, and market entry. The outcomes of these meetings could shape the company's trajectory for years to come, potentially accelerating the journey of a promising new therapy from the laboratory to the patients who desperately need it.