CellPro Inc. announced Thursday that it has started two PhaseI/II stem cell concentration trials in cancer patients.
The trials, at St. Louis University Medical Center in St. Louis,Mo., and Albert-Ludwigs-University Medical Center inFreiburg, Germany, will test the safety and efficacy of theBothell, Wash., company's Ceprate SC stem cell concentrationsystem in autologous peripheral blood for use in restoring bonemarrow and immune systems following high-dosechemotherapy to treat advanced malignancies.
The trials are also designed to determine the capacity ofconcentrated peripheral-blood stem cells to acceleratehematological recovery following high-dose chemotherapy.Other factors measured include infusional toxicity, tumorresponse, duration of response and patient survival.
The St. Louis trial will focus on patients with advanced breastcancer or intermediate grade lymphoma. The Freiburg trial willinclude patients with metastatic, small-cell lung cancer,refractory or relapsed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, metastaticbreast cancer or other advanced malignancies for which nostandard treatment is available.
"These trials are planned to show the effectiveness ofperipheral blood stem cells in providing hematological supportas an adjunct to high-dose chemotherapy," said Ron Berenson,vice president of biological research and medical affairs forCellPro (NASDAQ:CPRO).
"They are an important step in the clinical evaluation andbroad-scale application of the Ceprate SC stem cellconcentration system.
"Our objective is to replace bone marrow transplantation withnon-invasive, peripheral-blood, stem-cell therapy for thesupport of chemotherapy in treating many cancers," Berensonsaid.
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