Shepherd posts news about Stem Cell trial

This month Jared became the first patient to receive stem cells in the Asterias Biotherapeutics Inc clinical trial partnering with Shepherd Center. Although Jared is unnamed in the article, we are reposting their press release regarding the surgery, found on the Shepherd Center website. This will give you a much better idea of what the trial is about.

About the Clinical Trial

The Phase 1/2a clinical trial evaluates an investigational product in newly injured people with spinal cord injury. Shepherd Center, located in Atlanta, Georgia, treated its first patient in this study in June 2015 — Jared.

Key details about the trial:

• Sponsor: Asterias Biotherapeutics Inc.
• Partner: Shepherd Center, Atlanta, GA
• Phase: 1/2a — evaluating safety and early efficacy
• Focus: Newly injured individuals with spinal cord injury

For more detailed information about the trial protocol and enrollment criteria, visit ClinicalTrials.gov or the Asterias Biotherapeutics website.

You can read the full Shepherd Center press release at their news page.

What This Means for Jared

Jared sustained a C6 spinal cord injury after falling from a tree on May 7, 2015. As a C6 quadriplegic, he has limited use of his arms, wrists, and thumbs. Participation in this trial represents an important step in his recovery journey at Shepherd Center, where he has been receiving intensive rehabilitation since his transfer from Massachusetts Memorial Hospital.

We are hopeful and grateful for this opportunity, and we thank the teams at Shepherd Center and Asterias Biotherapeutics for their dedication to advancing spinal cord injury research.