CLEVELAND, Nov. 8, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Athersys, Inc. (Nasdaq:ATHX) announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized commencement of a Phase II clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of administration of MultiStem®, Athersys' allogeneic investigational cell therapy product, for the potential treatment of ulcerative colitis. This Phase II clinical trial is expected to begin enrolling patients before the end of 2010 and is part of a collaboration between Athersys and Pfizer that the companies formed in December 2009 to develop MultiStem for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
