Athersys and Healios Announce R&D Day
January 26 2016 - 9:01AM
HEALIOS K.K. (“Healios”) (Tokyo Stock Exchange:4593) and Athersys,
Inc. (“Athersys”) (NASDAQ:ATHX) announced today that the companies
will host a joint R&D Day event in New York City on Thursday,
February 4, 2016. The presentations will take place at the
Harvard Club of New York City, 35 West 44th Street, New York,
NY. The event will be held in the Cambridge Room and will
begin at 4:30 PM EST and conclude at 6:30 PM EST, with a reception
to immediately follow. Advanced registration is required by e-mail
at irevent@athersys.com or online at www.athersys.com.
On January 8, 2016, a joint release was issued
by Athersys and Healios announcing a partnership and license
agreement focused on the development and commercialization of
Athersys’ novel cell therapy, MultiStem®, for the treatment of
ischemic stroke and potentially other indications in Japan.
MultiStem is a proprietary, patented, off-the-shelf stem cell
therapy that is being developed by Athersys for treating ischemic
stroke and other areas of significant unmet medical need.
The R&D Day will include corporate
presentations from the management teams of both Healios and
Athersys, in which they will be discussing the partnership,
development plans, core capabilities and technologies.
Presentations will include an expert panel on Stroke and Neurology
with discussions by leaders in the field, including Ken Uchino, MD,
Cerebrovascular Center, Cleveland Clinic; Larry Wechsler, MD, Henry
B. Higman Professor of Neurology/Neurosurgery and Chair, Department
of Neurology and Vice President, Telemedicine, Physician Services
Division, University of Pittsburgh; and Robert William Mays, PhD,
Vice President Regenerative Medicine & Head of Neuroscience
Programs at Athersys, Inc.
Advanced registration is required as space is
limited. Participants may register by e-mail at
irevent@athersys.com or online at www.athersys.com.
About Ischemic Stroke
Stroke represents an area where the clinical
need is particularly significant, since it represents a leading
cause of death and serious disability, and significantly lowers
quality of life for many stroke victims. Currently, there are more
than 15 million people that suffer a stroke globally and more than
two million stroke victims each year in the United States, Europe
and Japan, combined. Ischemic strokes, which represent the most
common form of stroke, are caused by a blockage of blood flow in
the brain that cuts off the supply of oxygen and nutrients and can
result in tissue loss and neurological damage, as well as long-term
or permanent disability. Unfortunately, current therapeutic options
for ischemic stroke victims are limited, since the only available
therapies, administration of the clot dissolving agent tPA, or
“thrombolytic,” or surgical intervention using mechanical
reperfusion to remove the clot, must be conducted within several
hours of the occurrence of the stroke. As a consequence of this
limited time window, only a small percentage of stroke victims are
treated with the currently available therapy—most simply receive
supportive or “palliative” care. The long-term costs of stroke are
substantial, with many patients requiring extended hospitalization,
extended physical therapy or rehabilitation (for those patients
that are capable of entering such programs), and many require
long-term institutional or family care.
About MultiStem
MultiStem cell therapy is a patented
regenerative medicine product that has shown the ability to promote
tissue repair and healing in a variety of ways, such as through the
production of therapeutic factors produced in response to signals
of inflammation and tissue damage. MultiStem therapy’s
potential for multidimensional therapeutic impact distinguishes it
from traditional biopharmaceutical therapies focused on a single
mechanism of benefit. The product represents a unique
"off-the-shelf" stem cell product that can be manufactured in a
scalable manner, may be stored for years in frozen form, and is
administered without tissue matching or the need for immune
suppression. Based upon its efficacy profile, its novel mechanisms
of action, and a favorable and consistent safety profile
demonstrated in both preclinical and clinical settings, MultiStem
therapy could provide a meaningful benefit to patients, including
those suffering from serious diseases and conditions with unmet
medical need. Athersys has forged strategic partnerships and a
broad network of collaborations to develop MultiStem cell therapy
for a variety of indications, with an initial focus in the
neurological, cardiovascular and inflammatory and immune disorder
areas.
About Athersys, Inc.
Athersys is an international biotechnology
company engaged in the discovery and development of therapeutic
product candidates designed to extend and enhance the quality of
human life. The Company is developing its MultiStem cell therapy
product, a patented, adult-derived "off-the-shelf" stem cell
product, initially for disease indications in the cardiovascular,
neurological, inflammatory and immune disease areas, and has
several ongoing clinical trials evaluating this potential
regenerative medicine product. Athersys has forged strategic
partnerships and collaborations with leading pharmaceutical and
biotechnology companies, as well as world-renowned research
institutions to further develop its platform and products. More
information is available at www.athersys.com.
About HEALIOS
K.K.
Healios is committed to becoming the leading
regenerative medicine company in Japan, and is leading the field in
developing iPS cell-based products for regenerative medicine. The
company was founded in 2011 and listed on the stock exchange (Tokyo
Security Exchange Mothers: 4593) in 2015. In Japan, the company is
developing a product for treatment of age-related macular
degeneration (an intractable ocular disease) jointly with Suimitomo
Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd. In fields other than ophthalmology, the
company has started R&D of products for regenerative medicine
capable of creating functional human organs (three-dimensional
organs) jointly with Yokohama City University. The company is
providing products for regenerative medicine as a solution to the
significant global issues associated with the “aging of society.”
See the website(https://www.healios.co.jp/)for details.
Contact:
Athersys, Inc.
William (B.J.) Lehmann, J.D.
President and Chief Operating Officer
Tel: (216) 431-9900
Fax: (216) 432-2461
bjlehmann@athersys.com
HEALIOS K.K.
Corporate Communication Group
Tel: 81-(0) 3-5777-8308
Fax: 81-(0) 3-3434-7231
pr@healios.jp
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