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International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
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Phase 1 clinical trial results support feasibility and safety of administering cell therapy as treatment for people with Parkinson’s disease

PHILADELPHIA, USA — The investigational therapy bemdaneprocel was shown to be generally safe in people with Parkinson’s disease 18 months after cell transplantation, according to results from a phase 1 study released today at the International Congress of Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders in Philadelphia.

Bemdaneprocel therapy consists of delivering stem cell-derived dopaminergic neuronal progenitor cells into the brain’s putamen during a single surgical session under general anesthesia. Clinical researchers administered either a low or high dose of bemdaneprocel in 12 participants, followed by a 12-month immunosuppression regimen.

At median follow up of 21 months, no deaths, discontinuations or graft-induced dyskinesias had occurred. More than 97% of the treatment-emergent adverse events were mild or moderate in severity, and none of the 3 reported hospitalizations were deemed related to bemdaneprocel use. Results support the continued evaluation of bemdaneprocel for treatment of people with Parkinson’s disease.

“This is an important phase 1b safety and tolerability study that delivered one of two doses of embryonic stem cells to the putamen of patients with Parkinson’s disease using a transfrontal approach,” said Jeffrey H. Kordower, professor of neurodegenerative disease research at Arizona State University. “This is the first study of embryonic progenitor cells to be reported and appears to be carefully designed and executed well. Importantly, based on this surgically related procedure, the number of treatment-emergent adverse events were within what would be expected for this trial with few serious adverse events, and none of the adverse events appeared related to the test article.

“This important trial demonstrates a good safety and tolerability profile, encouraging the continuation of this program,” he said.

Full text of this abstract will be available at mdsabstracts.org (Reference #959) after the embargo lifts September 27, 2024, 08:00 ET. 

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About the 2024 MDS International Congress of Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders®:  
The MDS International Congress is the premier annual event to advance the clinical and scientific discipline of Movement Disorders, including Parkinson’s disease. Convening thousands of leading clinicians, scientists and other health professionals from around the globe, the International Congress will introduce more than 1,800 scientific abstracts and provide a forum for education and collaboration on latest research findings and state-of-the-art treatment options. Learn more at www.mdscongress.org

About the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society: 
The International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society® (MDS), an international society of more than 11,000 clinicians, scientists, and other healthcare professionals, is dedicated to improving patient care through education and research. For more information about MDS, visit www.movementdisorders.org

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