CLEVELAND, April 4, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Athersys, Inc. (Nasdaq:ATHX) announced today that it has been granted U.S. patent 8,147,824 that covers the use of non-embryonic, multipotent stem cells for the reduction in severity or prevention of Graft-versus-Host Disease (GvHD), a serious condition associated with hematopoietic stem cell transplants (HSCTs) used to treat leukemia and related conditions. Athersys recently completed a successful clinical study evaluating the adjunctive administration of MultiStem® for prevention of GvHD, an indication for which the company has already received orphan drug designation.
