Mesoblast (ASX:MSB) has welcomed new research showing that its allogeneic cell therapy remestemcel-L delivers superior clinical outcomes compared with ruxolitinib for patients with steroid-refractory acute graft versus host disease (SR-aGvHD).
SR-aGvHD is one of the most life-threatening complications faced by recipients of bone marrow transplants.
The findings were presented this week at the 67th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) in Florida.
The peer-reviewed meta-analysis analysed data from 11 studies involving 2,732 patients, including 644 who received remestemcel-L and 1,349 who received ruxolitinib.
According to the study authors, both therapies improved quality of life in SR-aGvHD, but remestemcel-L demonstrated superior complete and overall remission rates, along with meaningful differences across haematology, cardiac and hepatic adverse events.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Ryoncil (remestemcel-L-rknd), the first mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) therapy ever approved by the regulator, and the only approved treatment for children under 12 living with SR-aGvHD.
vMesoblast’s mesenchymal lineage technology platform is designed to respond to high levels of inflammation by releasing anti-inflammatory factors that modulate multiple arms of the immune system, helping to reduce the damaging cascade that drives diseases such as aGvHD. In addition to paediatric SR-aGvHD, Ryoncil is being developed for adults with the condition and for biologic-resistant inflammatory bowel disease, while the company’s second platform therapy, rexlemestrocel-L, is advancing in chronic low back pain and heart failure.