DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 16, 2005--TheraVitae, an international biotechnology company and the producer of VesCell(TM) adult stem cell therapy for heart disease, today presented interim clinical data showing significant improvement in patients suffering from severe angina pectoris six months after they received the company’s autologous adult stem cell therapy. Unlike most clinical trials currently underway, VesCell uses adult stem cells derived from a patient’s own blood rather than his or her bone marrow. Prof. Alex Battler, MD, Director of Cardiology at the Rabin Medical Center in Israel and TheraVitae’s chief medical officer, presented the results at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Session here. In addition to showing that VesCell has a high safety profile the results demonstrate that: -- 93% of patients reported an increased ability to perform physical exercise. -- 62% showed improvement in treadmill exercise capacity. -- 73% of patients showed an improvement in perfusion defect of the ischemic region, assessed by SPECT. The study, evaluating the safety and efficacy of intracoronary administration of VesCell to patients suffering from severe angina pectoris, is being conducted in conjunction with Her Majesty’s Cardiac Center at Siriraj Medical Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand.
