NHMRC to Fund Major Phase 2 Clinical Trial of Cynata’s Cymerus MSCs in Patients with Osteoarthritis

Cynata Therapeutics (ASX:CYP), a clinical-stage biotechnology company specialising in cell therapeutics, is pleased to announce that the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) has approved a grant to fund a Phase 2 clinical trial to evaluate Cynata’s Cymerus mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) as a treatment for osteoarthritis.

As quoted in the press release:

The aim of the Phase 2 clinical trial is to assess the effect of Cymerus MSCs compared to placebo on clinical outcomes and knee joint structure over a two-year period, in 448 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee.

Preclinical research has shown that MSCs can exert a number of important effects that may improve outcomes in patients with osteoarthritis, including release of cytokines and growth factors that reduce inflammation and promote tissue repair, new blood vessel formation, and regeneration of compromised cartilage.

The trial will be led by Professor David Hunter, Florance and Cope Chair of Rheumatology, Chair of the Institute of Bone and Joint Research and Professor of Medicine at the University of Sydney. Professor Hunter has been Chief Investigator of numerous clinical trials in osteoarthritis. He has more than 450 publications in high-impact journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of the American Medical Association and British Medical Journal.

Click here to read the full press release.