Athersys Inc. (NASDAQ:ATHX) reported more positive results from an ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial of its adult stem cell therapy for the treatment of heart-attack patients.
The new data shows that Athersys’ MultiStem treatment was well-tolerated at all dose levels and also suggests improvement in heart function in treated patients. The newly announced results are based on four months of data on patients who were treated with MultiStem after suffering acute myocardial infarctions, or heart attacks, according to a statement from Athersys.
The results show that MultiStem has a “favorable safety profile” and that adverse events that occured after patients received the treatment were generally “mild-to-moderate in nature,” according to the statement.
From Blind Spots to Better Outcomes: How SNF Data Transparency Strengthens LTSS
What if health plans could identify member decline before an avoidable hospitalization occurs? Real-time clinical visibility into long-stay SNF members uncovers risk earlier and drives better outcomes.
“We are continuing to see strong findings from this Phase 1 study that suggest that MultiStem is well-tolerated and that administration following a heart attack could provide a meaningful improvement in functional heart measures, said the study’s principal investigator, Dr. Marc Penn, director of Cardiovascular Cell Therapy at the Cleveland Clinic.
Last month, Athersys revealed similar results from the ongoing heart attack trial.
MultiStem is an off-the-shelf stem cell treatment derived from the bone marrow of adults or other non-embryonic sources. The cells have a drug-like effect, reducing inflammation, protecting damaged tissue and forming new blood vessels, and then are cleared from the body.
Athersys has partnered with Canada-based Angiotech Pharmaceuticals Inc. to develop MultiStem for cardiovascular applications. The companies are planning another clinical trial that they expect to begin next year, according to the statement.
The Healthcare Payments Industry Faces a Perception Challenge
Healthcare payments are no longer about transactions. It’s about controlling the revenue cycle. And increasingly, that control is not sitting with ISOs.