A copy of the poster is available on the Events & Presentation page of Brainstorm's corporate website.
"We are pleased to be sharing this confirmatory evidence of NurOwn's clinically-meaningful effects with the ALS community at this year's NEALS meeting," stated Dr. Stacy Lindborg. "Our confidence in NurOwn continues to grow as we conduct further analysis of the Phase 3 data. Two orthogonal approaches designed to account for ALSFRS-R's inability to accurately assess disease progression in patients with advanced ALS demonstrate a statistical trend towards a clinically meaningful treatment effect with NurOwn, and one that is consistent with the pre-specified subgroup of participants with less advanced ALS at baseline (ALSFRS-R ≥ 35). We believe this consistency, together with the biomarker data we reported last month at the ALS ONE Symposium, adds weight to the important conclusions we can draw from our new analyses."
Dr. Cudkowicz commented, "We have learned a lot about both the clinical and biological (biomarker) effects of NurOwn in people with ALS. This presentation provides new insights into the NurOwn phase 3 trial demonstrating the consistency of treatment effect with NurOwn. We were honored to present these results at the NEALS annual conference."
Poster Highlights
NurOwn Phase 3 Trial Patient Population and ALSFRS-R Floor Effect
Pre-specified Subgroup Analyses
Post-hoc Analyses to Account for ALSFRS-R Floor Effects
Biomarker Data
Phase 3 NurOwn Study Design
The Phase 3 NurOwn trial was a multi-center, placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind trial designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of repeat doses of NurOwn in 189 ALS participants. It was conducted at six centers of excellence: University of California Irvine (Dr. Namita Goyal); Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (Dr. Matthew Burford, Dr. Robert Baloh); California Pacific Medical Center (Prof. Robert Miller, Dr. Jonathan Katz); Massachusetts General Hospital (Prof. Merit Cudkowicz, Dr. James Berry); University of Massachusetts Medical School (Prof. Robert Brown) and Mayo Clinic (Prof. Anthony Windebank, Dr. Nathan Staff). Potential participants with ALS were screened during an 18-week run-in period and those who were rapid progressors (defined as participants with at least a 3-point decrease in ALSFRS-R score during the run-in period) were randomized 1:1 to receive three intrathecal injections (8 weeks between each injection) of NurOwn or placebo. Participants were followed for 28 weeks after treatment. The primary endpoints of the trial were safety assessments and a responder analysis of the rate of decline in ALSFRS-R score over 28 weeks, where response was defined as participants with a 1.25 points/month improvement in the post-treatment versus pre-treatment slope in ALSFRS-R at 28 weeks following the first treatment. Secondary endpoints included the percentage of participants with disease progression halted or improved, ALSFRS-R change from baseline, combined analysis of function and survival, slow vital capacity, tracheostomy-free survival, overall survival and cerebrospinal fluid biomarker measurements. For more information on the trial, visit https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03280056.
About NurOwn®
The NurOwn technology platform (autologous MSC-NTF cells) represents a promising investigational therapeutic approach to targeting disease pathways important in neurodegenerative disorders. MSC-NTF cells are produced from autologous, bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that have been expanded and differentiated ex vivo. MSCs are converted into MSC-NTF cells by growing them under patented conditions that induce the cells to secrete high levels of neurotrophic factors (NTFs). Autologous MSC-NTF cells are designed to effectively deliver multiple NTFs and immunomodulatory cytokines directly to the site of damage to elicit a desired biological effect and ultimately slow or stabilize disease progression.
About BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc.
BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. is a leading developer of innovative autologous adult stem cell therapeutics for debilitating neurodegenerative diseases. The Company holds the rights to clinical development and commercialization of the NurOwn technology platform used to produce autologous MSC-NTF cells through an exclusive, worldwide licensing agreement. Autologous MSC-NTF cells have received Orphan Drug designation status from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). BrainStorm has completed a Phase 3 pivotal trial in ALS (NCT03280056); this trial investigated the safety and efficacy of repeat-administration of autologous MSC-NTF cells and was supported by a grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM CLIN2-0989). BrainStorm completed under an investigational new drug application a Phase 2 open-label multicenter trial (NCT03799718) of autologous MSC-NTF cells in progressive MS and was supported by a grant from the National MS Society (NMSS).
Safe-Harbor Statement
Statements in this announcement other than historical data and information, including statements regarding future clinical trial enrollment and data, constitute "forward-looking statements" and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc.'s actual results to differ materially from those stated or implied by such forward-looking statements. Terms and phrases such as "may," "should," "would," "could," "will," "expect," "likely," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "predict," "potential," and similar terms and phrases are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. The potential risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, BrainStorm's need to raise additional capital, BrainStorm's ability to continue as a going concern, prospects for future regulatory approval of BrainStorm's NurOwn treatment candidate, the success of BrainStorm's product development programs and research, regulatory and personnel issues, development of a global market for our products and services, the ability to secure and maintain research institutions to conduct our clinical trials, the ability to generate significant revenue, the ability of BrainStorm's NurOwn treatment candidate to achieve broad acceptance as a treatment option for ALS or other neurodegenerative diseases, BrainStorm's ability to manufacture and commercialize the NurOwn treatment candidate, obtaining patents that provide meaningful protection, competition and market developments, BrainStorm's ability to protect our intellectual property from infringement by third parties, heath reform legislation, demand for our services, currency exchange rates and product liability claims and litigation; the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on our clinical trials, supply chain, and operations; and other factors detailed in BrainStorm's annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q available at http://www.sec.gov. These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on BrainStorm's forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on the beliefs, expectations, and opinions of management as of the date of this press release. We do not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect actual results or assumptions if circumstances or management's beliefs, expectations or opinions should change, unless otherwise required by law. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements.
Contacts
Investor Relations:
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LifeSci Advisors, LLC
Phone: +1 617-429-3548
jmullaly@lifesciadvisors.com
Media:
Lisa Guiterman
lisa.guiterman@gmail.com
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