Phase I Trial Of NTCELL® In Parkinson's Disease Authorized In New Zealand

Editor's Choice Main Category: Parkinson's Disease Also Included In: Clinical Trials / Drug Trials Article Date: 08 Oct 2012 - 0:00 PDT

Current ratings for: Phase I Trial Of NTCELL In Parkinson's Disease Authorized In New Zealand

The company says it is on track to start its first in-human trials in the first quarter of 2013. The Phase I open label investigation on the safety and efficacy of NTCELL in patients with Parkinson's disease will last 60 weeks and will include only those who were diagnosed with Parkinson's disease (PD) at least four years ago.

In the Trial, Auckland Island pigs' choroid plexus cells will be transplanted into the patient's brains. Choroid plexus cells are naturally-occurring support cells of the brain. When they are transplanted into Parkinson's disease patients they help protect the brain from nerve tissue damage. Choroid plexus cells also help repair damaged nerve tissue. In order to prevent the immune system from rejecting them, the cells will be encapsulated with IMMUPEL.

Trial participants will either receive current gold standard of treatment for their symptoms (deep brain stimulation) or NTCELL treatment.

The trial will be led by Dr Barry Snow (MBChB, FRACP, FRCPC), an internationally recognized Parkinson's disease expert.

Dr. Snow said:

Dr Andrea Grant, Chief Executive of LCT, said "Receiving regulatory approval to conduct clinical trials is a critical step in developing a treatment for this debilitating condition. The unprecedented results of our preclinical studies suggest that NTCELL can protect brain tissue which would otherwise die, potentially delaying or even preventing the effects of Parkinson's."

According to animal studies with NTCELL:

Current treatments - focusing on slowing down the drop in dopamine levels and alleviating some of the symptoms - work well initially, but become less effective as the disease advances.

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Phase I Trial Of NTCELL® In Parkinson's Disease Authorized In New Zealand