Bioheart reports promising result for congestive heart failure treatment with stem cell therapy

Aug 27 2010

Bioheart, Inc., (OTC Bulletin Board: BHRT) announces that the treatments and 3 month follow up with stem cell therapy on the first two congestive heart failure patients has been performed successfully at Hospital Angeles Tijuana through its Center of Excellence, Regenerative Medicine Institute of Tijuana, Mexico. In March, Bioheart entered into an agreement to establish a Center of Excellence for the introduction of its therapies. Through the program with Bioheart, Regenerative Medicine Institute provides therapies for congestive heart failure (CHF) and peripheral arterial disease (PAD) patients at the Hospital Angeles Tijuana, a fully equipped state-of–the-art private specialties hospital.

The therapy involved the use of stem cells derived from the patient's own fat (adipose tissue) obtained using liposuction. Stem cells were separated from the adipose tissue utilizing the fully-automated TGI Cell Isolation System. The separation process takes about an hour. No tissue pre-processing is required with this system. The recovered stem cells were injected into the patients' hearts with Bioheart's MyoCath® needle injection catheter.

Dr. Juan J. Parcero, the treating Interventional Cardiologist and head of the cardiac program at the Hospital Angeles commented on Bioheart's program, "The ability to offer cutting edge treatments and regenerative medicine has provided new hope to these patients. We are very pleased with the positive outcomes seen in the patients treated so far." Dr. Parcero has led the efforts with this new program with expert team members Drs. Oscar Mendoza and Luis Ruvalcaba, Echo cardiologists, Dr. Silvia Gonzalez, Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Nelson Varas, Anesthesiologist Cardiologist and Dr. Jesus Perez, Hospitalist.

To date, four patients have been treated utilizing the TGI Cell Isolation System. Two of the patients have completed the 3-month follow-up testing. A significant improvement was seen in both the 6-minute walk as well as the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). The first patient improved his walking distance from 315 to 420 meters and LVEF from 32% to 38%. The second patient improved his walking distance from 450 to 492 meters and LVEF from 40% to 55%.

Mike Tomas, Bioheart's President and Chief Executive Officer added, "We are extremely excited about the Center of Excellence established in Mexico and the preliminary results are very promising. We look forward to providing novel therapies and regenerative medicine to additional heart failure patients whose options are currently limited."