Andrews Medicine of Pensacola, Florida, and Celltex Therapeutics Corporation of Houston, Texas, are to form a new biotechnology company to bridge the divide between stem cell research and the current treatment of athletic injuries.
The jointly owned company will operate under the name of Andrews Celltex Biologics.
The new company will undertake the operation of a sports injury program that includes the Celltex-sponsored FDA developmental study associated with its Investigational New Drug (IND) for the use of Celltex-produced autologous mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in the treatment of orthopedic indications.
Andrews Medicine will participate in the FDA observed IND research study and will be responsible for selection of participants and administration. The goal is an FDA approved Biologic License for the Celltex product.
James R. Andrews, chairman and CEO of Andrews Medicine, said: “I have always known that stem cells, when properly handled, can add value to already effective treatments of inflammatory conditions caused by injury or disease. I am delighted that the FDA has been working with Celltex for studying the safety and efficacy of this combination of Celltex-produced MSCs with traditional medical treatment of multiple sports injury indications.
“Our know-how and network of sports teams and physicians will add immediate value to our new joint company. I am convinced that Andrews Celltex Biologics will be a leader in this huge growth sector of health care coupled with regenerative medicine.”
Improving recovery time
“Celltex is excited about the opportunity to join forces with one of the best orthopedic and sports medicine companies in the country,” said David G. Eller, chairman and CEO of Celltex.
“It is a perfect match. Surgical treatments coupled with Celltex-produced regenerative MSCs will improve recovery time and remediation. This joint effort of the two leading companies in their field will bring cutting edge regenerative health care for sports injuries and beyond.”
Eller added: “Over the past 11 years, Celltex has developed unique know-how and proprietary technology to produce, in its specially designed cGMP lab, millions of MSCs from a small extraction of a person’s adipose tissue. The integrity and vibrancy of the MSCs are of therapeutic quality.
“Over one trillion MSCs have been produced by Celltex, in its cGMP lab, from individuals wanting their own stem cells reintroduced into their bodies by medical doctors to fight a variety of diseases, especially those caused by inflammatory conditions. Given the autologous nature of Celltex-produced stem cells, there have been no severe adverse events when these stem cells have been reintroduced into the individuals from whom the small, one-time adipose tissue sample had been extracted.”
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