NeuroScientific says that having led programs across their full therapeutic cycle, including pre-clinical development and clinical trials, Smith has extensive experience in navigating regulatory approvals and developing commercial product supplies.
Smith said he was excited to help advance the technology and make it accessible to patients with serious and life-threatening conditions. “I was attracted to NSB given the historical success of StemSmart in multiple serious clinical disorders and the clear potential of the technology for further development,” he said.
The high-level executive duo of Smith and Cole join a strong leadership team, which also includes Perth-based haematology medical scientist Dr Marian Sturm, as NeuroScientific’s chief scientific officer. Sturm pioneered the use of the MSC used in StemSmart over the past 20 years in her former role as facility director of Royal Perth Hospital’s Cell and Tissue Therapies centre.
NeuroScientific Biopharmaceuticals chairman Rob McKenzie said: “Nathan’s appointment reflects the exciting trajectory of NSB following the acquisition of Isopogen’s cell therapy technology. His leadership alongside Dr Sturm’s clinical expertise positions the company to unlock the full potential of our pipeline and build strong relationships with future commercial partners.”
StemSmart 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 and manufactured using the hospital’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.
Later in the year, the company expects to receive the interim results from its latest compassionate trial involving patients with difficult-to-treat fistulising Crohn’s disease, in which an open wound develops from a gut flare-up that extends out to the skin.
A successful trial will help the company validate its proprietary StemSmart technology in this patient group, who otherwise have limited treatment options.
NeuroScientific has created a bit of a whirlwind this year with its Isopogen acquisition, re-energised leadership team and a $3.5 million capital raise. The funding has handed the company a $7.5 million war chest to support further trials and development and helped it generate plenty of momentum towards its long-term goal of partial or full registration for StemSmart, first up as a Crohn’s treatment.
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