RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Humacyte, Inc. an innovator in biotechnology and regenerative medicine, announced today that Company founder, Laura Niklason, M.D., Ph.D., a world leader in tissue engineering and cellular therapies, has been elected to the prestigious National Academy of Medicine (NAM). NAM is an independent organization of eminent professionals from diverse fields including health and medicine; the natural, social, and behavioral sciences, and beyond. Seventy people were elected to the exclusive 2,000-member organization at the 2015 NAM Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. on October 19, 2015.
“A distinguished researcher and scientist, Dr. Niklason is a clinician and innovator who is transforming a field of medicine and patient care. I am pleased to see that the National Academy of Medicine has recognized her life-long commitment to medicine”
NAM elects no more than 70 regular members and 10 international members annually. For those at the top of their field, NAM membership reflects the height of professional achievement and commitment to service. Membership in NAM is based on distinguished professional achievement in a field related to medicine and health; demonstrated and continued involvement with the issues of health care, prevention of disease, education, or research; skills and resources likely to contribute to achieving NAM’s mission; and a willingness to be an active participant in the work of NAM.
The election to NAM is a culmination of Dr. Niklason’s life-long contributions to scientific advancements, and her development of new technologies that may have the potential to change the way modern medicine treats certain diseases. Dr. Niklason’s continuous commitment to research, experimentation and study led to the creation of the world’s first investigational bioengineered human acellular vessel, (HAV) – branded HUMACYL™ by Humacyte – to help patients with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). Following years of development on HUMACYL, Dr. Niklason founded Humacyte in 2004, and nearly a decade later, she and a team of collaborators successfully implanted the vessel for the first time into a patient who was diagnosed with late-stage kidney disease. The implantation proved to be a clinical milestone, and paved a new way forward in the discipline.
Dr. Niklason’s work in developing HUMACYL has the promise to help patients with kidney disease, and the science can potentially be used in addressing a range of vascular and non-vascular diseases, such as Coronary Artery Bypass, Replacement Trachea and Esophagus, and bypass for Peripheral Arterial Disease.
“A distinguished researcher and scientist, Dr. Niklason is a clinician and innovator who is transforming a field of medicine and patient care. I am pleased to see that the National Academy of Medicine has recognized her life-long commitment to medicine,” said Carrie S. Cox, Chairman and CEO of Humacyte. “Her determination and dedication have resulted in her becoming a world leader in the field of vascular therapies, and it is privilege to help her vision become a reality.”
In 2014, HUMACYL was granted fast-track status by the Food & Drug Administration. Next year, Humacyte plans to commence a global Phase III study for HUMACYL.
In addition to her work at Humacyte, Dr. Niklason is a Professor at Yale University in Biomedical Engineering and Anesthesia, where she also serves as Vice-Chair for Anesthesia. Dr. Niklason received her doctor of philosophy in Biophysics from the University of Chicago, and a doctor of medicine from the University of Michigan. She completed her residency training in anesthesia and intensive care unit medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and completed post-doctoral scientific training under the world-renowned scientist, Dr. Robert Langer.
Dr. Niklason has received numerous national awards for scientific excellence, and was named one of only 19 “Innovators for the Next Century” by U.S. News and World Report in 2001. Niklason’s work on lung regeneration was cited as one of the top 50 most important inventions of 2010 by Time Magazine.
About Humacyte
Humacyte, Inc., a privately held company founded in 2004, is a medical research, discovery and development company with clinical and pre-clinical stage investigational products. Humacyte is primarily focused on developing and commercializing a proprietary novel technology based on human tissue-based products for key applications in regenerative medicine and vascular surgery. The company uses its innovative, proprietary platform technology to engineer human, extracellular matrix-based tissues that can be shaped into tubes, sheets, or particulate conformations, with properties similar to native tissues. These are being developed for potential use in many specific applications, with the goal to significantly improve treatment outcomes for many patients, including those with vascular disease and those requiring hemodialysis. The company’s proprietary technologies are designed to create off-the-shelf products that, once approved, can be utilized in any patient. The company web site is www.humacyte.com.
All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included in this announcement are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “will”, “anticipate”, “expect”, “believe”, “intend” and “should” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. These statements relate to future events or Humacyte’s clinical development programs, reflect management’s current beliefs and expectations and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Humacyte’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different. Except as required by law, Humacyte assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
Contacts
Media:
ICR
Kate Ottavio Kent, 203.682.8276
Kate.Ottavio-Kent@icrinc.com
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