The Aastrom experience

Ronnda L Bartel, Caryn Cramer, Kelly Ledford, Amy Longcore, Christopher Parrish, Theresa Stern, Sharon Watling, Frank Zeigler

Aastrom Biosciences has developed a proprietary cell-processing technology that enables the manufacture of ixmyelocel-T, a patient-specific multicellular therapy expanded from a small sample of a patient's own bone marrow. Ixmyelocel-T is produced under current good manufacturing practices (cGMP) in a fully closed, automated system that expands mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and macrophages. While the cell types in ixmyelocel-T are the same as those found in the bone marrow, the numbers of MSCs and alternative macrophages are greater in ixmyelocel-T. We propose that the mixture of expanded MSCs and alternatively activated macrophages promote long-term tissue repair of ischemic tissue. The multiple cell types in ixmyelocel-T have a range of biological activities that are likely to contribute to a complex mechanism of action. Clinical trial data collected to date support the potential for ixmyelocel-T as an efficacious and safe treatment for ischemic cardiovascular indications, including critical limb ischemia (CLI) and a severe form of heart failure, dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). The CLI clinical program has completed phase 2 and has reached concurrence with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on a phase 3 study (REVIVE) through the Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) process. The phase 3 study began screening patients in February 2012. The DCM clinical program will initiate phase 2b in 2012.