Poway, California (PRWEB) October 10, 2017 -- Dr. Bob Harman, founder and CEO of VetStem Biopharma, Inc. spent an afternoon speaking at his local San Diego Rotary Club. The event entitled “Stem Cells and Their Regenerative Powers,” was held on August 31st, 2017 in San Diego, CA and had 300+ attendees. Dr. Harman, DVM, MPVM was joined by two human doctors: Peter B. Hanson, M.D., Chief of Orthopedic Surgery, Grossmont Hospital and Darryl D’Lima MD, PhD, Director of Orthopedic Research, Shiley Center for Orthopedic Research and Education.
Dr. Harman’s talk centered on the use of stem cells in veterinary medicine. At VetStem Biopharma, the primary indications for stem cells are osteoarthritis as well as bone and soft tissue injuries in the dog, horse, and cat. While VetStem has been providing this service to veterinarians across the United States and Canada since 2004, human doctors have not adopted this treatment modality as quickly.
Although VetStem specializes in veterinary medicine, ongoing development of the technology may have larger implications for stem cell use in human medicine. One might ask, “If stem cells can help my dog’s hip osteoarthritis, could it help mine?” The answer is likely yes. Dr. Harman presents regularly at human stem cell conferences, sharing VetStem data and findings. With data compiled from over 13,000 veterinary patients, VetStem has a lot to share. Dr. Harman has also authored and co-authored several papers and book chapters on both human and veterinary stem cells.
In an effort to make stem cell therapy less costly and more accessible, Dr. Harman and his team are working toward FDA approval of an “off-the-shelf,” or allogeneic (donor derived), stem cell product. VetStem completed a landmark double-blinded, multi-site, placebo-controlled field efficacy study in 2016 which enrolled approximately 90 dogs with osteoarthritis. The dogs, who received a single intra-articular injection of stem cells, demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in treatment versus placebo (p<0.05). The primary endpoint was treatment success based on the Client-Specific Outcome Measurement (CSOM) on day 60 as compared to day 0. Additionally, the veterinary assessment of pain showed a statistically significant improvement in the stem cell treated dogs compared to the controls. To further development, VetStem is currently conducting a pivotal FDA clinical study of osteoarthritis in the dog with an expected completion date of late 2017. With these results, VetStem hopes to receive FDA approval of the canine allogeneic stem cell product in 2018-19.
About VetStem Biopharma, Inc.
VetStem Biopharma is a veterinarian-lead Company that was formed in 2002 to bring regenerative medicine to the profession. This privately held biopharmaceutical enterprise, based near San Diego (California), currently offers veterinarians an autologous stem cell processing service (from patients’ own fat tissue) among other regenerative modalities. With a unique expertise acquired over the past 15 years and 13,000 patients treated by veterinarians for joint, tendon or ligament issues, VetStem has made regenerative medicine applications a therapeutic reality beyond the realm of research. The VetStem team is focused on developing new clinically practical and affordable veterinary solutions that leverage the natural restorative abilities present in all living creatures. The Company’s stated mission being “to extend and enhance the lives of animals by improving the quality of recovery in acute conditions, but also by unlocking ways to slow, stop and ultimately revert the course of chronic diseases”. In addition to its’ own portfolio of patents, VetStem holds exclusive global veterinary licenses to a portfolio of over 70 issued patents in the field of regenerative medicine.
Kristi Hauta, VetStem Biopharma, http://www.vetstem.com/, +1 858-748-2004 Ext: 208, [email protected]
SOURCE VetStem Biopharma
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