ReNeuron (LON:RENE) said this morning the last of the stroke patients in the initial dosing group has been treated with the group’s new stem cell therapy.
The treatment, which involves minor surgery, was carried out earlier this month, the company said.
In all 12 people left disabled by ischaemic stroke are participating in these phase I dose escalation trials on ReN001 drug candidate being carried out in Scotland at the Institute of Neurological Sciences.
It is part of the Pilot Investigation of Stem Cells in Stroke, or PISCES study, which is the world’s first fully regulated clinical trial of a neural stem cell therapy for disabled stroke patients.
“The aim of the study is to test the safety and tolerability of the treatment in progressive doses whilst assessing longer term efficacy measures for the design of future clinical trials with ReN001,” the company said.
In an update in March ReNeuron said the first patient has experienced no adverse reactions or effects relating to the therapy.
The company said then it expects to treat a further three people on a higher dose by the end of the year. Today it said it will update the market on the progress of PISCES on June 30 to coincide with full-year results.
As PISCES’ remaining dose cohorts are treated in 2012, ReNeuron intends to discuss and agree a clinical development strategy for ReN001 with regulatory authorities in ‘the UK and beyond’.
It also plans to explore the clinical potential of its lead CTX stem cell line in other categories of the stroke patient population and in other neurological conditions where it may be relevant.
This will be done with a view to starting other clinical trials in these indications as quickly as possible.–Ian Lyall