Living Cell Technologies (LCT) Limited today announced that the first patient has been successfully implanted in the Phase I clinical trial of the regenerative cell therapy NTCELL - a potential treatment for Parkinsons disease. The pioneering brain surgery was conducted yesterday at Auckland City Hospital and the patient has so far recovered well, although the full impact of the surgical procedure will not be known for several days. The Phase I clinical trial is an open label investigation of the safety and clinical effect of NTCELL in four people who have been diagnosed with Parkinsons disease for at least four years. The first patient will now be monitored for two months to confirm no serious adverse safety events. At that time, the independent data safety monitoring board (DSMB) will consider the safety data and advise if the implants for the remaining three patients can proceed. The trial Principal Investigator is Dr Barry Snow (MBChB, FRACP, FRCPC), an internationally recognised clinician and researcher in Parkinsons disease who leads the Auckland Movement Disorders Clinic at the Auckland District Health Board. "The team is pleased with how well the patient tolerated the procedure itself," says Dr Snow. "The surgery is relatively straightforward in … Continue reading →

SYDNEYand AUCKLAND, New Zealand, Sept. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --Living Cell Technologies Limited (LCT) today announced that the first patient has been successfully implanted in the Phase I clinical trial of the regenerative cell therapy NTCELL(R) a potential treatment for Parkinson's disease. The pioneering brain surgery was conducted at Auckland City Hospital and the patient has recovered well so far. An MRI scan taken the day after the surgery indicated that the NTCELL capsules have been implanted at their intended target. The patient and family have requested privacy and no contact with the media. The Phase I clinical trial is an open label investigation of the safety and clinical effect of NTCELL in four people who have been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease for at least four years. The first patient will now be monitored for two months to confirm no serious adverse safety events. At that time, the independent data safety monitoring board (DSMB) will consider the safety data and advise if the implants for the remaining three patients can proceed. The trial Principal Investigator is Dr Barry Snow (MBChB, FRACP, FRCPC), an internationally recognised clinician and researcher in Parkinson's disease who leads the Auckland Movement Disorders Clinic at the Auckland … Continue reading →

KALAMAZOO, Mich., Sept. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Metabolic Solutions Development Company, LLC (MSDC) announced today the presentation of new data showing an investigational drug being studied to treat diabetes, MSDC-0160, had a protective effect on nerve cells in the brain that control movement, balance and walking. These results in laboratory and animal models of Parkinson's disease suggest MSDC-0160 may have the potential to modify the course of Parkinson's disease. The Company is preparing for the start of clinical trials, which could begin in late 2014. These results were generated in collaboration with Patrik Brundin, MD, PhD, Head of the Laboratory of Translational Parkinson's Disease Research and Director of the Center for Neurodegenerative Science at the Van Andel Institute (VAI). The data were presented by post-doctoral fellow Anamitra Ghosh at the "Grand Challenges in Parkinson's Disease" symposium, which is being convened September 18 19 at VAI (Grand Rapids, MI). First in Class MSDC-0160 is the first in a new class of insulin sensitizers called mTOT Modulators, which appear to exert their therapeutic effects through a new drug target located in the inner mitochondrial membrane. MSDC-0160 has been shown to be well-tolerated and no significant safety issues were noted in studies in … Continue reading →