Bone repair trial yields growth

Mesoblast has released positive interim results from a clinical trial of its proprietary adult stem cell technology for patients suffering from non-healing, long bone fractures.

The results were announced by Richard Farrugia, clinical research co-ordinator at the Department of Orthopaedics at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, which is conducted a trial of Mesoblast's technology.

Farrugia told the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) conference in Cairns this week that interim data from the trial demonstrated an exciting new development in the orthopaedic field.

He said the first eight patients implanted with their own cultured stem cells in the safety trial were progressing well, with no adverse events recorded to date. Results from the first five to receive the stem cell implants had shown positive outcomes, he said.

The results indicated strong bone regeneration and fracture union in the first five patients implanted, meaning the need for a second operation to harvest bone from their hips was not necessary.

Mesoblast's founder and chief scientific adviser, Professor Silviu Itescu, said the company was delighted with the results.

"In order to eliminate the need for patient-specific therapies, and to make this bone regenerative treatment available to the broadest number of patients, all future clinical trials of Mesoblast's platform technology, including the Phase II trials in the United States for spinal fusion and for long bone fractures, will focus on delivery of safe, low cost and high-margin, off-the-shelf allogeneic (universal donor) stem cells," Itescu said.