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BY OUR PHARMA CORRESPONDENT
4 September, 2005: The feasibility of adult stem cells in the regeneration of bones and spinal fusion have been initiated by Mesoblast Limited.
The Australian company announced that it had commenced pre-clinical trials at Colorado State University in support of its Investigational New Drug (IND) submissions to the United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA).
Mesoblast is trialing its proprietary universal adult stem cells for treatment of long bone fractures and for spinal fusion. These trials are being performed in combination with FDA-approved carrier materials provided through an agreement with one of the world's largest medical devices companies and a leader in the international orthopaedic markets.
Mesoblast has found in studies that its adult stem cells do not stimulate immune cells from an unrelated individual. The firm obtains adult stem cells from selected, or universal, donors, growing them up in commercially scaleable quantities using Mesoblast’s proprietary technology, the company said in a release.
Mesoblast Limited develops novel treatments for orthopaedic conditions, including the commercialisation of adult stem cell technology aimed at the regeneration and repair of bone and cartilage.
Mesoblast, which listed on the Australian Stock Exchange in December 2004, has the world wide exclusive rights for a series of patents and technologies that have been developed over more than 10 years and which relate to the identification, extraction and culture of adult Mesenchymal Precursor Cells (MPCs). The technology has achieved outstanding results in pre-clinical in vivo studies in the regeneration and repair of large bone fractures.
The company has also acquired a 33.3% interest in Angioblast Systems Inc, an American company developing the platform MPC technology for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, including repair and regeneration of blood vessels and heart muscle.
Mesoblast and Angioblast are jointly funding and progressing the core technology. Mesoblast's strategy is to maximise shareholder value through both corporate partnerships and the rapid and successful completion of pre-clinical and clinical milestones.
BY OUR PHARMA CORRESPONDENT
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