BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics announces NurOwn trial

BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics has announced its Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota has entered into a memorandum of understanding in a bid to carry out a Phase II clinical trial of NurOwn.

It is hoped that the drug will be able to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, with Mayo Clinic existing as the third US clinical site to agree a memorandum with the company, coming after the University of Massachusetts and Massachusetts General Hospital.

Initial results from Phase II quantitative analysis in ALS indicate that patients with the condition experience a positive clinical trial outcome after being treated with NurOwn.

The business is planning to enrol patients into clinical trials at May Clinic and the two Massachusetts locations by the second half of this year.

NurOwn is a stem cell therapy that places bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells into specialised cells, which secrete nerve-growth factors for the protection of existing motor neurones.

The treatment also leads to the promotion of motor neurone growth and the re-establishment of nerve-muscle interaction.

Alon Natanson, chief executive officer of BrainStorm, said: "We are pleased that Mayo Clinic, a world renowned and prominent clinical centre, will be conducting the Phase II clinical trial of NurOwn in ALS.

"It is very encouraging that top tier US centres of excellence have expressed an interest in playing a leading part in our research."

Mr Natanson described the new trial as a step forward in finding an effective treatment option for ALS patients, and noted that the company will reveal data at a conference later this week.

"This week, we will present some of our breakthrough final Phase I data at the most prestigious world neurology meeting, the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, on Wednesday, March 20th," he explained.

NurOwn is capable of confirming MSC-NTF cells' activity and potency prior to transplantation, making the treatment a useful approach for neurodegenerative diseases.

Posted by Neil Clark