Perth, Australia; 12 June 2014: Regenerative medicine company Orthocell has announced positive data from a pilot study of its tendon cell treatment, Autologous Tenocyte Implantation (Ortho-ATI™), for hip tendon pain at an international orthopaedic conference in London.
The data, which was presented by leading orthopaedic surgeons at the 15th European Federation of National Associations of Orthopaedics and Traumatology (EFORT), illustrated long-term efficacy and safety of Ortho-ATI™ in treating patients with gluteal tendon degeneration or ‘tendinopathy’, the most common hip tendon injury.
The pilot study investigated the effect of Ortho-ATI™ in 12 patients all of whom were assessed by an independent and blinded therapist pre-operatively and at 3, 6, 12 and 24 months post-procedure. The study was led by Australian orthopaedic surgeon Dr Greg Janes from the Perth Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Centre, along with Dr Tom Bucher, a visiting fellow from the United Kingdom.
Patients involved in the study had an average symptom length of 33 months and had exhausted all available treatment options without success. Ortho-ATI™ significantly improved the clinical outcome of patients with gluteal tendinopathy, showing reduced pain and increased functionality. Patients also completed a satisfaction questionnaire at two years post-procedure which showed 67% of patients were ‘satisfied’ or ‘highly satisfied’ with the outcome of their treatment.
Dr Janes said: “This data supports the potential for Ortho-ATI™ to provide a disease modifying intervention for gluteal tendinopathy that until now has been resistant to treatment.”
Orthocell Managing Director Paul Anderson welcomed the results of the pilot study and said they were encouraging not only for people suffering gluteal tendinopathy, but a range of other hard-to-treat musculoskeletal conditions and injuries, where tendon degeneration is prevalent.
“The world population is rapidly ageing and associated musculoskeletal conditions will place an enormous financial burden on many global economies. To counteract the financial impact of age-related illnesses and injuries, we need to be smarter in our approach to treating patients and create less invasive and more cost-effective procedures,” Mr Anderson said.
“One of the standout themes from last week’s EFORT Congress was the role that regenerative medicine can play in helping to reduce the global financial impact of age-related injuries and illnesses. Ortho-ATI™ is an important new tool for surgeons and sports physicians to treat acute tendon and ligament injuries.”
Gluteal tendinopathy is a disabling condition that predominantly affects middle-aged and older women. The condition has previously been treated with steroid injections to alleviate pain, and until recently there was no treatment directly targeting the cause of the condition.
Ortho-ATI™ is a tissue engineering technique which utilises a patient’s own tendon cells (tenocytes) to assist in the repair and regeneration of damaged tendons or ligaments. Orthocell has Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approval to manufacture and sell Ortho-ATI™ in Australia, New Zealand and affiliate countries to the TGA based in Asia.
For more information, please contact:
General enquiries
Paul Anderson
Orthocell Limited, Managing Director
P: (08) 9360 2888
E: paulanderson@orthocell.com.au
Media enquiries
Tahlia Weston
Buchan Consulting
P: (03) 8866 1203 / 0450 606 950
E: tweston@buchanwe.com.au
About Orthocell Limited
Orthocell is a commercial-stage, regenerative medicine company focused on developing products for a variety of tendon, cartilage and soft tissue injuries. Orthocell’s line of therapies include TGA-approved cell therapies Autologous Tenocyte Implantation (Ortho-ATI™) and Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation (Ortho-ACI™), which aim to augment, repair, replace or regenerate areas which have been damaged by disease, injury or the ageing process. The Company’s other major product is Celgro™, a collagen medical device which facilitates tissue repair and healing in a variety of orthopaedic, reconstructive and surgical applications.
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