Data suggests efficacy of TheraVitae stem cell treatment

Interim clinical data evaluating TheraVitae's adult stem cell therapy VesCell suggests significant improvement in patients suffering from severe angina pectoris six months after they received the treatment.

18 Nov 2005, 16:27 GMT - VesCell uses adult stem cells derived from a patient's own blood rather than his or her bone marrow.

According to the data, 93% of patients given VesCell treatment reported an increased ability to perform physical exercise, 62% showed improvement in treadmill exercise capacity, and 73% of patients showed an improvement in perfusion defect of the ischemic region.

The study, evaluating the safety and efficacy of intracoronary administration of VesCell to patients suffering from severe angina pectoris, is being conducted in conjunction with Her Majesty's Cardiac Center at Siriraj Medical Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand.

VesCell technology facilitates the isolation, expansion and differentiation of angiogenic cell precursors to an amount sufficient to induce blood vessel formation in the heart. Cells are isolated from the blood, processed outside the body and then administered to the patient during standard catheterization to regions of the heart suffering from reduced blood supply.

"The results are a major step toward proving the safety and efficacy of VesCell therapy, and demonstrating the reliability of TheraVitae's cell manufacturing process. Moreover, they illustrate the considerable benefits and low risk that VesCell therapy provides to patients," said Dr Alex Battler, director of cardiology at the Rabin Medical Center in Israel and TheraVitae's chief medical officer.

Source: Datamonitor Newswire