Bangkok--Jan 20--PITON Communications
Gathering of prestigious cardiologists, Physicians, Scientists at Board Meeting to accelerate the development of cellular therapy, to explore the progress and expansion in therapeutic remedy for good heart health
TheraVitae commits to Cell Therapy development and progress seen in Bangkok, Thailand
The Scientific Advisory Board of TheraVitae Ltd., innovator of a revolutionary cell therapy for severe heart disease myocardial ischemia, was held last weekend in Eilat, Israel. The meeting was to demonstrate leadership/commitment also how TheraVitae’s Scientific Advisory Board is strongly investing in the future, supporting the growth of its therapeutic therapy, moving forward its late-stage pipeline and supporting significant breakthrough treatment in cardiac area.
TheraVitae’s Late-Stage Pipeline Focuses on Progress and Expansion on Therapeutic Area
The Board’s medical and scientific glance toward the future is one of the most important elements in TheraVitae’s strategy to remain at the forefront of cell therapy. At the meeting, the scientific advisory board will explore the following areas
Presentation of interim results of TheraVitae cell therapy clinical trial in patients with severe angina pectoris
Explanation of the cell processing techniques used in TheraVitae laboratory
Clinical trial plans to expand indications in cardiology
Exploring new vascular indications for the therapeutic use of Endothelial Progenitor Cells
Laying out TheraVitae’s cell-based pipeline
Explaining the vision of industrializing stem cell manufacturing and therapy
Current Practice in Pipeline
TheraVitae, at its Bangkok base, has been in close cooperation with prestigious cardiologists in the Kingdom engaging in a clinical trial of the safety and efficacy of the cell therapy. The treatment utilizing a patented process developed by TheraVitae uses cells cultured from a small quantity of the patients own blood. This method provides safety from cell rejection and is relatively painless.
"Our focus now is on the future - on provisioning of the progress on safety and efficacy of cell therapy. Our current situation is not business, but we recognize that the long-term growth of this innovative new treatment is very much the right one, given the environment in which TheraVitae - and the industry - will be using as an alternative in the years ahead," said Dr. Valentin Fulga, Chief Executive Officer, TheraVitae. "We have substantially studied and are continuing to improve the way we approach every aspect of our therapy, from the discovery process to the way in which we bring new cultured cell and injection to patients.”
Covering the Discovery of the Board Meeting: Breakthrough in Cardiac Treatment Chaired by Prof. Alexander Battler, Chairman of Cardiology at the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel, the Board is composed of eminent scientists and physicians including Prof. Aaron J. Ciechanover, the 2004 Nobel Prize Laureate for biochemistry and Prof. John Marshall, one of the inventors of the Excimer Laser for the treatment of refractive eye disorders.
Other members of the SAB are:
Prof. Michael Belkin, Director Ophthalmic Technologies Laboratory at Tel Aviv University,
Prof. Supachai Chaithiraphan, Chairman of the ASEAN Heart Association and President of the Heart Association of Thailand,
Prof. Ren-Ke Li, senior scientist at the Toronto General Research Institute, one of the pioneers of cardiac cell therapy,
Prof. Naphtali Savion, the Past President of the Tel Aviv University Eye Research Institute.
During the meeting, topics related to the ongoing clinical trials as well as future research projects were presented by the Company’s scientists and physicians. The members of the SAB and the additional guests who also included Dr. Amit Patel from the University of Pittsburgh and Dr. Stanley Kurtz expressed their satisfaction with the encouraging interim results of the clinical trial.
The trial, which is ongoing in Thailand and whose Principal Investigator is Prof Damras Tresukosol, Head of the Catheterization Laboratory at the Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok, is assessing the safety and efficacy of the administration of a cellular therapy composed of endothelial progenitor cells (cells with the potential of growing blood vessels) to patients suffering from severe angina pectoris. The cellular product is manufactured from the patient’s own cells according to a patented process developed by TheraVitae.
Another session of the meeting was dedicated to new projects in development at TheraVitae. The members of the Board assessed the scientific and business potential of these future projects, guiding the Company on their prioritization and the activities that should be undertaken to develop them into viable treatments.
The members of the Board of Directors of TheraVitae were also present and were able to get an overview of the exciting science and medicine developed at the Company.
“These were two exciting days,” said Mr. Robert Clark, TheraVitae’s Chairman. “We had a great opportunity to meet the distinguished scientists and physicians who are enabling us to chart the course of cell therapy for the foreseeable future.”
Dr. Valentin Fulga, CEO of TheraVitae added, “The presence and the support of all the distinguished participants at this meeting strengthen us and reinforce our confidence that we are proceeding in the right direction both scientifically and business wise.”
Thailand on Its Way to Become Top Notch Biotechnology Hub in SouthEast Asia TheraVitae, an Israeli Company, has chosen Thailand as its base and as the site for the first clinical trial of their treatment protocol. The plan consists of 4 venues to facilitate the manufacturing process.
For more information, please contact Dr. Veerachat Petpisit, Marketing Director, TheraVitae, Co., Ltd. +66(2)6644290, [email protected]
About TheraVitae
TheraVitae is an emerging healthcare company focused on using the patient’s own cells to treat a variety of disorders, especially cardiovascular diseases. TheraVitae is an international company, based in Bangkok, Thailand and Kiryat Weizmann, Israel, benefiting from collaborations with eminent physicians and scientists who are affiliated with well-known medical and academic institutions.
The Company is committed to helping patients by developing and utilizing cutting-edge science at its highest standards. TheraVitae plans to launch a state-of-the-art facility for processing blood from patients in Thailand within the next year. The facility is expected to support cell-based products for Thailand and Southeast Asia and to develop protocols that exploit TheraVitae’s patented technology to treat other serious medical conditions.
Additional Information on Cell Therapy
More information can be obtained from www.theravitae.com or www.vescell.com or contact TheraVitae Hotline at (66) 02.664.4395-6 based in Bangkok, Thailand.
TheraVitae Forward-Looking Statement
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements involve risks and uncertainties, which may cause results to differ materially from those set forth in the statements. The forward-looking statements may include statements regarding product development, product potential or financial performance. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed, and actual results may differ materially from those projected. TheraVitae undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
Top Notch Talent highlighted on the Scientific Advisory Board of TheraVitae The luminaries who have chosen to participate in TheraVitae’s cell therapy revolution include:
Professor Alexander Battler - Chairman of the Israeli National council for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiac and Cardiovascular Diseases and Chairman of the PR Committee and Board Member of the European Society of Cardiology, Chief Medical Officer - TheraVitae
Professor Michael Belkin — Director, Ophthalmic Technologies Laboratory at Tel Aviv University
Professor Suphachai Chaithiraphan — President of the Heart Association of Thailand and President of the Thai Atherosclerosis Society
Professor Aaron Ciechanover — Nobel Prize Laureate for Chemistry, 2004
Professor Ren-Ke Li - Professor of Surgery in the Department of Cardiac Surgery, University of Toronto and senior scientist, Toronto General research Institute
Professor John Marshall - Frost Professor of Ophthalmology, Chairman of the Academic Department of Ophthalmology at St. Thomas's Hospital, and Chairman of the Medical and Scientific Advisory Board and Trustee of the British Retinitis Pigmentosa Society
Professor Amit N. Patel — Director of Clinical Cardiac Cellular Therapies, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Professor Naphtali Savion — Past President of the Tel Aviv University Eye Research Institute
Professor Damras Tresukosol — Head of the Catheterization Laboratory, Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok
Dr. Valentin Fulga — Chief Executive Officer, TheraVitae
Dr. Yael Porat — Research and Development Manager, TheraVitae
Mr. Robert Clark — President and Chairman, TheraVitae
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