CLEVELAND, Oct. 14, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Athersys, Inc. (Nasdaq:ATHX) today announced the presentation of data from its ongoing phase I clinical trial of MultiStem(r) for individuals following acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Marc Penn, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the Bakken Heart-Brain Institute at the Cleveland Clinic and co-principal investigator of the study, presented summary data yesterday at the annual Transvascular Cardiovascular Therapeutics conference (TCT) in Washington, D.C. where he described the AMI program and the successful administration of MultiStem in the first patient enrolled at the Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Penn reported that MultiStem was delivered safely and tolerated well by the patient following administration.
The phase I clinical trial is an open label, multi-center dose escalation trial evaluating the safety and maximum tolerated dose of single dose administration of allogeneic MultiStem following an AMI. Following standard treatment, enrolled patients receive MultiStem delivered via a Cricket(tm) Micro-Infusion Catheter, a proprietary device developed and manufactured by Mercator Medsystems (San Leandro, CA). The Cricket catheter enables rapid and efficient delivery of MultiStem into the region of damage in the heart.
Athersys has evaluated the safety and ability of MultiStem to improve heart function in multiple animal models, including well-validated preclinical models of AMI. Based on this preclinical work, the Company believes that MultiStem may be administered safely and has the potential to improve heart function in patients following severe heart attacks.
William Lehmann, President and Chief Operating Officer at Athersys, commented, "We are excited about the potential of MultiStem to provide benefit in multiple diseases and conditions, and we look forward to providing additional information about this phase I clinical trial and other studies as we move our programs ahead."
Athersys is jointly developing MultiStem for AMI with Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
About MultiStem(r)
MultiStem is a proprietary non-embryonic stem cell product that may be derived from bone marrow or other tissue sources, and has the demonstrated ability to form a wide range of cell types. In addition, based on extensive preclinical work conducted by the Company and its collaborators, Athersys believes MultiStem has the potential to deliver benefit through several mechanisms, including the production of multiple therapeutic proteins and factors produced in response to inflammation and tissue damage. Athersys believes that MultiStem represents a unique "off-the-shelf" stem cell product based on its apparent ability to be used without tissue matching or immunosuppression and its capacity for large scale production.
About Athersys, Inc.
Athersys is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of therapeutic product candidates designed to extend and enhance the quality of human life. In addition to its lead product candidate, ATHX-105, the Company is developing other orally active pharmaceutical product candidates for the treatment of metabolic and central nervous system disorders. Athersys is also developing MultiStem(r), a patented, adult-derived "off-the-shelf" stem cell product platform for multiple disease indications, including damage caused by myocardial infarction, bone marrow transplantation/oncology support, ischemic stroke and other indications.
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