On December 6th, MD Anderson Cancer Center and NIH announced that they will be funding a clinical trial that will combine two Mesoblast technologies:
- Mesenchymal Precursor Cell (MPC)-based expansion
- Ex-vivo fucosylation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) for cord blood transplantation in cancer patients
The purpose of the trial is to provide clinical data to indicate whether these technologies can interact synergistically to promote faster cord blood HSC engraftment for bone marrow transplant patients.
Mesoblast Clinical Trial Evolution
Headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, Mesoblast Limited is a regenerative medicine company. It was founded by Silviu Itescu in 2004, and he remains at the helm of the company as CEO and Managing Director. Mesoblast is best known for its development of mesenchymal lineage cells, including mesenchymal precursor cells (MPCs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs).
To date, Mesoblast has had the Japanese government approve TEMCELL® HS. Inj, a product that it licensed to JCR Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd for the treatment of graft vs host disease (GvHD). In addition to launching the first allogeneic cell-based product to receive full regulatory approval in Japan, Mesoblast expects to launch the first industrially manufactured allogeneic cell-based product in the U.S., stating “Our product candidate, MSC-100-IV, has orphan drug designation and is being developed under an accelerated regulatory approval pathway in line with FDA discussions for children with steroid-refractory acute graft versus host disease.”
Mesoblast also has two other lead product candidates, MPC-150-IM and MPC-06-ID, whic are in Phase 3 programs targeting advanced chronic heart failure and chronic low back pain.
Now, the company is exploring its Mesenchymal Precursor Cell (MPC)-based expansion technologies in conjunction with the MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC) and the NIH.
As stated by Dr. Shpall of the MDACC, “Our data suggest that combining Mesoblast’s MPC-based HSC expansion and ex vivo fucosylation technologies may be the optimal clinical strategy for rapid engraftment of cord blood transplants, potentially making cord blood transplantation a real option for many desperate patients who cannot find a suitable alternative.”
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/bayer-ag-investing-in-toronto-based-stem-cell-research-company/article33292430/
Things are heating up again in the regenerative medicine space. Mesoblast is a long term play unless low back pain study pans out well. Capricor could be in a sweet spot with DMD success and passage of 21st Century Cures Act.