Developer of placenta-based cell therapy products, Pluristem, has been granted a key US patent by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) relating to the use of Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) for muscle regeneration.
stem cell research
The patent, ‘Skeletal muscle regeneration using mesenchymal system cells’, has already been granted in Europe, Hong Kong and Israel. It addresses the use of MSCs for skeletal muscle regeneration used either directly after, or shortly after, post-surgical muscle injury.
Both the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) have given positive feedback to the company for its proposed study design and endpoints of the Phase III trial for the treatment of muscle recovery following arthroplasty for hip fracture.
This trial is set to take place in Europe and the US and has been awarded an $8.7 million grant by the Horizon 2020 programme. If successful, the company plans to use the trial outcomes to achieve marketing approval in both the US and Europe.
“This very important patent comes at the right time, just ahead of our planned Phase III study in muscle regeneration following hip fracture,” stated Zami Aberman, chairman and co-CEO of Pluristem. “The patent substantially strengthens our intellectual property around muscle regeneration, particularly as it pertains to repair and regeneration following surgery. In an industry that demands constant technological and scientific advances, a robust patent portfolio covering our core innovations strengthens Pluristem’s competitive edge.”