Commenting on her new role, Dr Cole said she was excited to help expand access to life-changing treatments, adding that the MSC therapy has been shown to modulate the immune system, reduce inflammation, promote immune tolerance and speed up tissue repair in some immune-related diseases.
She noted the clinical results so far for StemSmart in patients with immune-mediated disorders have been highly effective, and that the growing global momentum around stem cell therapies demonstrated that the sector’s therapeutic potential could be invaluable.
“I look forward to helping expand access to life-changing therapy for patients affected by a range of immune and inflammatory disorders,” Cole said.
The MSCs used in StemSmart were pioneered over the past 20 years by Perth haematology medical scientist Dr Marian Sturm, NeuroScientific’s incoming chief scientific officer, in her former role as facility director of Royal Perth Hospital’s Cell and Tissue Therapies centre.
It offers a step up from traditional MSC manufacturing in that the cells are grown in a special media, becoming activated in the process. The platform technology was developed at Royal Perth Hospital (RPH) and manufactured using RPH’s processes.
The cells have been used many times over the years via early phase clinical trials, studies and on compassionate grounds, with promising results.
If NeuroScientific’s latest special access scheme (SAS) trial pans out, the company plans to escalate into phase 1/2 clinical trials as it sets its sights on obtaining the regulatory and funding approvals required for a full-scale rollout.
For now, all eyes are on the fistulising Crohn’s data and the company’s clinical and regulatory push. With Sturm and Cole holding its scientific and clinical reins, NeuroScientific can gear up to play in the big biotech league.
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