Stemedica Cell Technologies, Inc. (Stemedica), a world leader in stem cell research and manufacturing, announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved an Investigational New Drug (IND) for a clinical trial for ischemic stroke using Stemedica's high potency proprietary allogeneic stem cells (adult human).
"The FDA acceptance of our IND application and the clinical protocol for usage of allogeneic mesenchymal bone marrow-derived stem cells in subjects with ischemic stroke is an important milestone for Stemedica in its development program," said Nikolai Tankovich, MD, PhD, Stemedica's President and Chief Medical Officer. "Currently, patients suffering from ischemic stroke have very limited treatment options. We hope that bringing this novel option to the medical community will help to alleviate the burden of a serious and disabling disease and will be valuable for both patients and their family members."
The IND application approval allows Stemedica to initiate a planned clinical trial at medical centers within the United States. The clinical trial will be a Phase I/II dose escalation and safety clinical trial using allogeneic mesenchymal bone marrow cells administered intravenously to patients with ischemic stroke. The patient population will include individuals with significant functional or neurologic impairment related to the ischemic stroke that confines the subject to a wheelchair or requires the subject to have home nursing care or assistance with the general activities of daily living.
"This approval, along with the licensing of our cGMP manufacturing facility, are two important breakthroughs in our company's evolution," said Maynard Howe, PhD, Stemedica's Vice Chairman & CEO. "It is a testament to the professionalism and focused persistence of our team."
Stemedica is licensed by the State of California's Department of Public Health, Food and Drug Branch to manufacture stem cells, drugs and biologic products for human clinical trials. The Company is compliant with both California law and the Code of Federal Regulations.
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