Mesoblast Limited (ASX:MSB) has announced that Phase 2 trial results of its cell therapy product candidate for the treatment of congestive heart failure (CHF) have been published in the latest edition of Circulation Research.
The results were published as an 'online first' article ahead of full print in the peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.
Patients with advanced heart failure have a poor long-term prognosis and few therapeutic options.
Mesoblast says that its proprietary Mesenchymal Precursor Cells (MPCs) may offer a promising alternative because of their ability to induce heart muscle repair, stimulate new blood vessel growth, decrease cell death and reduce scar formation.
In the article - ‘A Phase II Dose-Escalation Study of Allogeneic Mesenchymal Precursor Cells in Patients With Ischemic or Non-Ischemic Heart Failure’ - the authors concluded that high-dose allogeneic MPC treatment may reduce heart failure-related major adverse cardiovascular events (HF-MACE) and provide beneficial effects on adverse left ventricular remodelling.
According to lead author and investigator, Dr Emerson Perin, Director, Research in Cardiovascular Medicine and Medical Director of the Stem Cell Center at the Texas Heart Institute, “The findings from this trial are very encouraging and suggest that a high-dose of Mesoblast’s allogeneic cell-based therapy may decrease major clinical events associated with progressive heart failure for at least three years, including repeated hospitalisations or death.
“These effects appear to be due to the ability of these cells to positively impact on adverse cardiac remodeling associated with chronic heart failure. If these results are confirmed in the ongoing Phase 3 trial currently recruiting at our institution and elsewhere, this new therapy has the potential to change the paradigm for the management of patients with advanced heart failure and a high risk of hospitalisation and death,” Dr Perin added.