Stem cell therapy-a major breakthrough in the treatment of COVID-19
Stem cell therapy has made a major breakthrough in the treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome caused by COVID-19
As the coronavirus pandemic deepens, pharmaceutical / biotech companies are racing against time to develop treatments to combat this infectious disease.
Currently, some companies are developing vaccines to prevent the spread of coronavirus, while others are developing antibodies to cure infected people. At the same time, innovative treatments such as stem cell therapies are being evaluated to treat coronavirus infections. Companies developing cell therapies to treat COVID-19 are now the focus of attention.
Athersys, Inc.
Athersys is evaluating its MultiStem cell therapy product for the treatment of moderate to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by the new coronavirus.
MultiStem cell therapy regulates patients’ excessive inflammatory response to highly pathogenic respiratory viruses (including: SARS-CoV-2 which causes COVID-19). It is a promising method to improve the treatment outcome of these patients, FDA The company was recently allowed to initiate a critical phase II / III clinical study to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of MultiStem cell therapy in these patients. Athersys recently completed a Phase I / II study evaluating the use of MultiStem cell therapy in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Based on the promising data from this study, the project was recently granted a fast track by the FDA qualifications.
Pluristem Therapeutics Inc.
Israeli biotherapeutic company Pluristem Therapeutics Inc. recently announced that it has treated the first patient with COVID-19 complications in the United States based on the FDA’s single-patient expanded test program. The patient received PLX cell therapy in New Jersey. The patient was critically ill due to respiratory failure caused by acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and used a ventilator in the intensive care unit for three weeks. The main purpose of Pluristem is to start a multinational clinical trial as soon as possible to evaluate the effect of PLX cells on patients with COVID-19 complications.
Mesoblast Ltd.
In early April, Mesoblast obtained permission from the FDA for a new drug clinical application and intravenously infused its allogeneic mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) product candidate remestemcel-L to treat patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by COVID-19 This candidate will be evaluated in 240 patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by coronavirus infection in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial.
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Author | Hong Luo
Master of Clinical Pharmacology, Aberdeen University, UK
Canadian registered licensed pharmacist