Melbourne, Nov 11, 2008 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Australia's regenerative medicine company, Mesoblast Limited (ASX:MSB)(PINK:MBLTY), announced today that the thirteenth patient enrolled in the ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial for congestive heart failure had been safely implanted with the proprietary adult stem cells during a live case at the American Heart Association's annual conference, currently underway in New Orleans.
The procedure was performed by cardiologists from the Texas Heart Institute and broadcast during a satellite symposium titled 'Future Direction of Stem Cells in Cardiovascular Disease'. The annual American Heart Association conference is the premier symposium for American cardiologists.
The multi-centre trial is testing the safety and effectiveness of Revascor(TM), the proprietary allogeneic, or "off-the-shelf", stem cell product being developed for patients with congestive heart failure by Mesoblast's United States-based sister company Angioblast Systems Inc.
Revascor(TM) is delivered to damaged areas of the heart by a minimally invasive cardiac catheterisation procedure performed under local anaesthesia while the patient is awake. Patients undergoing the procedure are released from the hospital within 24 hours.
The placebo-controlled trial will randomise up to 60 patients suffering from congestive heart failure at various sites in the United States, including California, Arizona, Minnesota, and Texas. The first cohort of patients in the trial is expected to be completed by the end of December.
About Heart Failure
Almost six million Americans have congestive heart failure, a progressive form of cardiovascular disease that inhibits the heart from pumping blood throughout the body, with 550,000 new cases diagnosed each year. The extensive morbidity and mortality associated with this disease make it a principal health and economic burden in the Western world. Existing therapies do not result in repair or regeneration of heart muscle. Revascor(TM), a trademark of Angioblast Systems Inc, is being developed to rebuild both blood vessels and heart muscle.
Contact
Julie Meldrum
Corporate Communications Director
Mesoblast Limited
T: + 61 (03) 9639 6036
M: +61 (0) 419 228 128
E: julie.meldrum@mesoblast.com
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