Mike:
It appears that CTII/Astra collaboration on cells-implant for pain control and treatment is very alive and ongoing. However, there is one ambiguity related to PIIb trial:
<<According to the Phase IIB trial protocol, approximately 150 cancer patients will be included in the double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, which is designed to demonstrate efficacy and safety. Patients participating in the trial will receive an implant for a 10-week period. Following completion of a 10-week implantation, patients may elect to receive an additional active device. >>
Initially they encounter problems with implant. Stability of the implant and its break during surgical removing procedure. Device and surgical procedure modification (if this is the only problem) will solve this problem , according to CTII. By my taste, implant therapeutic life time should be longer than 10 weeks. But this may be issue for PIII trials protocol. It will be interesting to see results of the PIIb trial. However, placebo control group is not ethical for this patients.
Another problem is that GNE discontinue Neurturin implant for Parkinson's, while CNTF implant for Huntington's and ALS will continue.
<<"It is our judgment that encapsulated-cell delivery does not constitute the method of choice for delivery of Neurturin in Parkinson's disease," Joffre Baker, vice president of discovery research at Genentech, said in a statement.
Agreements with Genentech relating to Huntington's disease and ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease, remain in effect, CytoTherapeutics said. >>
What are the problems: therapeutic benefit and efficiency of the Neurturin factor or device formulation? On the other hand CNTF benefit in ALS and H is well known. Problem is toxicity, so this project have higher chance for success, imo.
At this time the very important factor for CTII is neural stem cells collaboration with large pharma, which I am expecting for some time. Recent research results from several institution and public awareness that this R&D program have great promise (for now only promise) pointed that CTII is active on this field and luck of the partner is just meter of time.
Miljenko
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