Vericel

Vericel is a Cambridge biotechnology company that develops, manufactures and markets advanced cell therapies for sports medicine and severe burn care in the United States. One of its products, MACI, repairs knee cartilage defects using a patient’s own cells cultured on a porcine collagen membrane. Epicel, its burn product, is used to treat patients with severe burns. The company also holds exclusive North American commercial rights to NexoBrid, a biological orphan product for removing eschar from severe thermal burns.

In 2024 the FDA approved MACI Arthro, which lets surgeons deliver MACI arthroscopically for knee cartilage defects up to 4 square centimeters, using instruments Vericel designed. The company shares patient stories about returning to military duty and hiking trails after MACI, and about recoveries from severe burns treated with Epicel. Its executive team includes Nick Colangelo, who joined in 2013 after nearly a decade at Eli Lilly and Company.

What to Know

• The first arthroscopic MACI procedure was performed at the Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles.
• Forbes has covered MACI as a way to regrow cartilage to fix damaged knees and ankles.
• Vericel is a publicly traded company.
• It is listed by the Central Square Business Improvement District.