Athersys, Inc. (ATHX) announced the completion of patient enrollment process for a phase II study on its MultiStem cell therapy. The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-center study is evaluating the safety and efficacy of MultiStem therapy in patients suffering from moderate to moderate-severe ischemic strokes.
The initial 90-day results from the study are expected to be released towards the end of the first quarter of 2015. Patients in the study were administered either MultiStem cells or placebo intravenously after one to two days of the stroke.
The main objective of the study is to assess the safety of the patients over the first seven days of treatment. Other endpoints like global stroke recovery at day 90, which assesses global disability (modified Rankin Score), neurological deficit (NIH stroke scale) and activities of daily living (Barthel Index) will be prioritized.
The treatment window can be expanded significantly from hours to days if the MultiStem treatment in the study proves to be safe and effective. The company said that over 15 million people globally suffer a stroke each year. As per the American Heart Association, over 85% of all strokes are ischemic strokes.
AstraZeneca’s (AZN) Brilinta is also being developed for the treatment of transient ischemic attack.
MultiStem cell therapy is also being evaluated for ulcerative colitis (phase II), acute myocardial infarction (a phase II study expected to be initiated soon) and hematopoietic stem cell transplant (phase I completed). Athersys is developing MultiStem cell therapy for ulcerative colitis in collaboration with Pfizer Inc. (PFE).
We are encouraged by Athersys’ progress with its MultiStem cell therapy. We expect investor focus to remain on this treatment going forward.
Athersys carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). A better-ranked stock in the healthcare sector includes AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AMAG) with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
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