Cell Therapy Company, Kadimastem, Granted U.S. Patent for Using Cell Therapy Technology to Treat ALS
Kadimastem Ltd. (TASE: KDST), a clinical stage cell therapy company developing treatments for ALS and diabetes, has been granted a patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office for its cell therapy technology for treating ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases. This US patent joins additional patents granted to Kadimastem in the US, Israel and Europe for the treatment of ALS and for ALS drug screening.
Kadimastem’s flagship product, AstroRx®, is a breakthrough technology that is comprised of a unique and large cell population of astrocytes derived from human pluripotent stem cells. The cells are intended to support the survival of neurons in the central nervous system (CNS, brain and spinal cord). These neurons are damaged by ALS, due to the malfunctioning of the patient’s own astrocytes. This situation hampers and annuls the neuromuscular signaling, which negatively affects muscle activity and leads to eventual paralysis and death.
In December 2020, Kadimastem announced the results of the <i>first of its kind</i>, Phase I/IIa clinical trial, in which healthy and functioning astrocyte cells (AstroRx®) were injected into the spinal fluid of 10 ALS patients. Data showed that AstroRx® has the potential to slow the progression of ALS, as indicated by a clinical score called ALSFRS-R. Kadimastem plans to test repeated doses every three months of AstroRx® to achieve a continuous delay of the disease.
