Of course they are adult stem cell derived. From the CNN story:
Cytori (down $0.02 to $5.62, Charts) is planning to launch its first stem cell medical device in Europe this year, said Eric Daniels, senior director of business development for the company, with a market debut planned for Spain and Italy. The company’s Celution System uses stem cell technology to rebuild breast tissue in cancer survivors....
The Celution System extracts stem cells from liposuction fat, which are then used to grow breast tissue in women who have undergone partial mastectomies to remove cancer, said Daniels.
“It turns out that subcutaneous fat is a very rich source of stem and regenerative cells,” he said. The device would be used to inject “a cocktail of therapeutic cells” into the woman’s body. Daniels speculated that product sales could reach several hundred million dollars a year...
Osiris...based in Columbus, Maryland, currently has the only stem cell-based product that’s been approved by the FDA. OsteoCell, which stimulates bone growth and is already on the U.S. market, is actually considered an implant rather than a drug or device.
But Osiris also has a potential stem cell drug in its pipeline - Prochymal - that CEO Randal Mills wants to launch into the U.S. market, possibly by 2008.
“We want to be the first company to get a stem cell drug approved by the FDA,” said Mills. He said that Prochymal, a potential treatment for acute Graft vs. Host Disease (also known as GVHD) and Crohn’s disease, is in late-stage trials. GVHD is an immune condition affecting cancer survivors with bone marrow transplants, while Crohn’s causes inflammation of the intestinal tract.
Now you know why most of the venture capital that is invested in stem cell research, goes to the ethical variety. Pretty cool, huh? Time is short, so I’ll be direct: FIRST THINGS needs you. And we need you by December 31 at 11:59 p.m., when the clock will strike zero. Give now at supportfirstthings.com.
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