MONTREAL, April 13, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ExCellThera Inc. (ExCellThera), an advanced clinical-stage biotechnology company delivering molecules and bioengineering solutions to expand and engineer various cell lines for use in next generation cell and gene therapies, announced today the publication of a scientific article entitled “UM171 expansion of cord blood improves donor availability and HLA matching for all patients, including minorities”. The study by Dumont-Lagacé et al., was recently published in the peer-reviewed medical journal Transplantation and Cellular Therapy.
Using data from the Be The Match® donor and cord blood registry, the retrospective study concluded that expansion with UM171:
- allows the use of small cords, increasing the pool of donors,
- improves access to HSCT for patients of racial or ethnic minorities, and
- enables access to better HLA matched cord blood units.
UM171 is the proprietary molecule used in ExCellThera’s lead technology, ECT-001, a cell therapy under development being evaluated in several clinical trials in the United States and Canada.
A persistent problem under the current standard of care for allogeneic stem cell transplantation is finding a suitable donor for all patients. While cord blood units cryopreserved in public banks offer a readily available source of stem cells for transplantation, the low number of cells they contain have hampered their use. This new study demonstrates how expanding small cord blood units results in a greater access to transplantation.
“The results of this study are supported by what we have seen in our clinical trials, where we’ve been able to identify a cord suitable for expansion for all patients enrolled, no matter their ethnic origin,” said Dr. Pierre Caudrelier, Chief Medical Officer of ExCellThera. “Furthermore, thanks to the low starting cell dose requirement for UM171 expanded grafts, about half of the patients in our first Phase I/II trial benefited from better HLA matching than would have been possible without expansion.”
About ExCellThera Inc.
ExCellThera is a clinical-stage cell expansion and engineering company delivering molecules and bioengineering solutions to expand and engineer various cell lines for use in novel one-time curative therapies for patients with hematologic malignancies and other diseases. ExCellThera’s most advanced technology, ECT-001, a cell therapy, combines a proprietary molecule, UM171, and an optimized culture system. In pursuit of better treatments for patients, the company is building out its cell expansion and engineering platform, as well as supporting best-in-class clinical trials. excellthera.com
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