ACT Announces Scotland's NHS Lothian as Additional Site for EU Clinical Trial
Using hESC-Derived RPE Cells for Macular Degeneration
Edinburgh-Headquartered UK National Health Service Provider is Third Designated
Site for European Clinical Trial
MARLBOROUGH, Mass., Aug 20, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Advanced Cell Technology,
Inc. ("ACT"; OTCBB: ACTC), a leader in the field of regenerative medicine,
announced today that Scotland's NHS Lothian has been confirmed as a site for its
Phase I/II human clinical trial for Stargardt's Macular Dystrophy (SMD) using
retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells derived from human embryonic stem cells
(hESCs).
"NHS Lothian should be a superb partner for our EU clinical trial for SMD," said
Gary Rabin, chairman and CEO of ACT. "We are particularly pleased to be working
with the Principal Investigator, Professor Baljean Dhillon, and his team.
Additionally, we would like to thank the men and women of the Scottish
Development Authority and Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS) for
their tireless efforts to help make this history-making clinical trial a
reality."
This approved, Phase I/II clinical trial for SMD is a prospective, open-label
study designed to determine the safety and tolerability of RPE cells derived from
hESCs following sub-retinal transplantation to patients with advanced SMD. It is
similar in design to the company's US trials for SMD and dry age-related macular
degeneration initiated in July 2011.
"SMD represents an important unmet need in the wider clinical arena of macular
degeneration," said Professor Dhillon, BMed Sci, BM BS, FRCS, Consultant
Ophthalmic Surgeon, at the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion, NHS Lothian and
Honorary Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Edinburgh. "This trial
will evaluate a promising potential new treatment for this condition, using
hESC-derived RPE cells."
Professor Marc Turner, Medical Director of SNBTS continued, " hESC-derived RPE
cells represent one of the first of a new generation of regenerative therapies
and is an example of the high quality clinical research being conducted in, and
supported by, NHS Scotland which we hope will help to transform medicine over the
coming decades."
On July 30, the company announced that the third patient in this SMD clinical
trial had been treated.
More information on the company's clinical trials will be posted today on Mr.
Rabin's Chairman's blog.
About Stargardt's Disease
Stargardt's disease or Stargardt's Macular Dystrophy is a genetic disease that
causes progressive vision loss, usually starting in children between 10 to 20
years of age. Eventually, blindness results from photoreceptor loss associated
with degeneration in the pigmented layer of the retina, called the retinal
pigment epithelium, which is the site of damage that the company believes the
hESC-derived RPE may be able to target for repair after administration.
About Advanced Cell Technology, Inc.
Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. is a biotechnology company applying cellular
technology in the field of regenerative medicine. For more information, visit
advancedcell.com. |
