CytoTherapeutics Inc. has begun the first human clinical trialfor its CereCRIB implant for severe chronic pain.

The initial safety trial is taking place with seriously ill patientsat the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois in Lausanne,Switzerland.

Patrick Aebischer, who is conducting the trial, invented theencapsulation technology licensed to the company and is aprofessor of surgery and director of surgical research at thestudy center, as well as professor of biomaterials at BrownUniversity in Providence, R.I., where the company(NASDAQ:CTII) is based.

As well as testing for safety, the trial is designed to determinewhether encapsulated non-human cells survive after beingimplanted. Results, expected at year-end, will be presented in ascientific forum. -- Nancy Garcia

(c) 1997 American Health Consultants. All rights reserved.