Menlo Park, Calif.-based Asterias Biotherapeutics announced the sixth and final patient who was administered AST-OPC1 after complete paralysis has exhibited positive signs following the six month study.
Here are four things to know:
1. The patient showed upper extremity motor function improvement three months in and increased developments after six months. The patient's hand and arm function had deteriorated before being treated with AST-OPC1.
2. Asterias Chief Medical Officer Edward Wirth, MD, PhD, said, "We are very encouraged by the meaningful improvements in the use of arms and hands seen in the SciStar study to date since such gains can increase a patient's ability to function independently following complete cervical spinal cord injuries."
3. The trial results seem to indicate a positive safety profile for AST-OPC1. Study data shows AST-OPC1 can be administered to patients in the subacute period after severe cervical spinal cord injury.
4. Lifetime healthcare costs for patients suffering from SCIs can often reach $5 million. The AST-OPC1 has the potential to lower healthcare costs and improve quality of life.
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