Osiris
Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:OSIR) today announced that it has
achieved a $750,000 milestone payment from the Juvenile
Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) for completing enrollment in a
Phase II clinical trial evaluating Prochymal, an adult mesenchymal stem
cell (MSC) therapy, as a treatment for patients recently diagnosed with
type 1 diabetes. The milestone is the fourth in a series of payments
resulting from JDRF’s partnership with Osiris for the development of a
therapy for type 1 diabetes.
“Completing the enrollment phase of this landmark trial represents a
significant milestone for the development of stem cell therapies for
type 1 diabetes”
In total, 63 patients were treated at 20 leading centers in this
double-blind, placebo controlled trial. The study is evaluating the
safety and efficacy of Prochymal in preserving insulin production in
patients newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. The trial initially
included patients 18 to 30 years of age. In July
2009, after reviewing safety data, the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) allowed Osiris to expand the trial to include
pediatric patients.