This week was a busy and active week within the stem cell industry, as evidenced by our coverage of stem cell markets below. I am excited to share with you.
Check it out and let me know what you think?
To facilitate improved culture conditions for MSCs in research and therapeutic applications, Biological Industries has launched novel serum-free and xeno-free hMSC differentiation kits. The launch represents a major advance within the MSC sector, because it creates a reproducible, contaminant-free environment for clinical-grade culture of human MSCs. BI’s serum-free and xeno-free kits are designed to be user-friendly with all necessary ingredients included, offering a complete system for multipotency evaluation of hMSCs and reliable induction of hMSCs into adipocytes, chondrocytes and osteoblasts/osteocytes.
GE Healthcare has acquired Biosafe Group SA, a supplier of integrated cell bioprocessing systems for the rapidly growing cell therapy and regenerative medicine industry for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition of Biosafe expands GE Healthcare’s end-to-end ecosystem of products, solutions and services for cell therapy customers, and expands GE’s technology reach to a number of new cell and therapy types.
Gamida Cell’s lead product, NiCord®, offers patients in need of HSCT an alternative to the existing approach of bone marrow transplant by using ex vivo expansion of cord blood. NiCord® has an orphan drug designation. NiCord®, CordIn™ and other products under development by Gamida Cell, all utilize the company’s proprietary NAM platform technology to expand cells while preserving, and surprisingly, even enhancing their functionality.
Landmark Stem Cell Clinical Trial Testing Escalating Doses of AST-OPC1 (Oligodendrocyte Progenitors)
Santa Clara Valley Medical Center is a site in the AST-OPC1 SCiSTAR Phase 1/2a clinical trial in complete cervical spinal cord injury, which is being sponsored by BioTime, Inc. (NYSE MKT: BTX) subsidiary Asterias Biotherapeutics (NYSE MKT: AST). The clinical trial will test the safety of three varying doses of AST-OPC1, which are oligodendrocyte progenitors that have the capacity to differentiate into a variety of brain cells. The study is funded in part by a $14.3 million grant from CIRM.
Dr. Paul Wotton joined the Board of Directors for Cynata Therapeutics (ASX: CYP) in June 2016. Cynata is an Australian company that is developing a therapeutic stem cell platform technology originating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison that utilizes iPSCs are starting material for generating nearly unlimited quantities of MSCs. Dr. Wotton was previously President and CEO of Ocata Therapeutics, joining the company in July 2014 and managing it through an all-cash take-over by Atellas Pharma valued at $379 million.
Mesenchymal Stem Cells – Advances & Applications [Global Strategic Report]
You should check out this 250-page global strategic report because: 1) MSC scientific publications have increased for 26 years straight, 2) MSCs are more frequently cited than any other stem cell type within the scientific literature, and 3) Google Trend data shows MSC searches to be approximately twice as common as the next most common adult stem cell type. The market for MSCs is growing. Are you informed about market opportunities and ready to act on them now?
About BioInformant
BioInformant is the first and only market research firm to specialize exclusively in the stem cell industry. BioInformant research has been cited by major news outlets that include the Wall Street Journal, Nature Biotechnology, Medical Ethics, Vogue Magazine, and more. Serving Fortune 500 leaders that include GE Healthcare, Pfizer, and Goldman Sachs, BioInformant is your global leader in stem cell industry data.