Children’s Hospital in Colorado Rounds off List of 24 Cord Blood Transplant Centers Worldwide Enrolling for ExCell Trial Studying StemEx(R) for Leukemia and Lymphoma
Hospital of
that Children’s Hospital is enrolling patients for the ExCell study.
Children’s Hospital is the 24th in a series of cord blood transplant sites
worldwide, five of which are children’s centers, participating in the study
in the U.S.,
safety and efficacy of StemEx as a therapeutic treatment for patients with
blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma.
StemEx is a graft of blood-forming stem/progenitor cells, derived from a
single unit of umbilical cord blood and expanded in culture. The graft is
composed of non-embryonic stem cells committed to blood formation. The StemEx
product is transplanted in combination with non-expanded cells from the same
unit. StemEx is being developed by a Joint Venture of Gamida Cell and Teva
Pharmaceutical Industries (NASDAQ: TEVA).
“ExCell is an important trial that gives us an opportunity to investigate
alternative treatments for blood cancers. We also think it is important that
the medical and patient communities are aware of the existence of this trial.
Naturally, our team is available for consultation should a referring
physician believe this could be the appropriate next step for a patient with
leukemia or lymphoma,” said
Children’s Hospital in
Currently, bone marrow transplantation serves as a life-saving treatment
for many types of leukemia and lymphoma. According to the National Marrow
Donor Program (NMDP) 70% of patients are unable to find a matched donor in
their family but are able to turn to international bone marrow transplant
registries to search for an unrelated adult donor or cord blood unit.
Depending on the patient’s race or ethnicity, a well matched, unrelated adult
marrow or blood stem cell donor may not be available for as many as 40% of
these patients. In that and other circumstances, a stored unrelated cord
blood unit can be a valuable alternative option.
Cord blood has fewer matching requirements than bone marrow or peripheral
blood transplants, providing the potential to increase the number of suitable
transplant matches and to shorten the time it can take to find a match.
However, there are a limited number of stem/progenitor cells in each cord
blood unit, often limiting unrelated cord blood transplants to younger,
smaller pediatric patients. StemEx employs a technology that expands this
small number of cord blood stem/progenitor cells, potentially increasing
their therapeutic capacity for transplantation in adolescents and adults.
“Our goal is to develop a product that will effectively treat blood
cancers like leukemia and lymphoma. It is with this goal in mind that the
ExCell team is studying the effects of StemEx. It is our hope that more
doctors, patients and the friends and family of patients will become familiar
with this study,” said
ABOUT THE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
The Children’s Hospital has defined and delivered pediatric healthcare
excellence for more than 100 years. Founded in 1908, The Children’s Hospital
is a leading pediatric network entirely devoted to the health and wellbeing
of children. Continually recognized as one of the nation’s outstanding
hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, The Children’s Hospital is known both
for its nationally and internationally recognized medical, research and
education programs as well as the full spectrum of everyday care for kids
throughout
professionals representing the full spectrum of pediatric specialties, The
Children’s Hospital network of care includes its main campus, sixteen
Children’s Care Centers and more than 400 outreach clinics. For more
information, visit http://www.thechildrenshospital.org.
ABOUT GAMIDA CELL
Gamida Cell Ltd. is a world leader in stem cell expansion technologies
and therapeutic products. The company is developing a pipeline of products in
stem cell transplantation and in tissue regeneration to effectively treat
debilitating and often fatal illnesses such as cancer, hematological,
autoimmune and ischemic diseases. Gamida Cell’s therapeutic candidates
contain populations of adult stem cells, selected from non-controversial
sources such as umbilical cord blood and bone marrow, which are expanded in
culture. Gamida Cell was successful in translating these proprietary
expansion technologies into robust and validated manufacturing processes
under GMP. Gamida Cell’s flagship product, StemEx, is now being studied as a
therapy for patients with blood cancers in an international pivotal trial at
leading transplant centers in the U.S.,
drug designation in the U.S. and in
shareholders include: Elbit Imaging, Biomedical Investment, Israel Healthcare
Venture, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Amgen, Denali Ventures and Auriga
Ventures. For more information, please visit: http://www.gamida-cell.com. For
information regarding the ExCell study: http://www.stemexstudy.com.
Press Contacts:
Natalie Goldstein, Children's Hospital
+1-720-777-3970
Marjie Hadad
Media Liaison, Gamida Cell
+972-54-536-5220
SOURCE Gamida Cell LTD