ALLOB is the first ever allogeneic differentiated osteoblastic cell therapy product developed for the treatment of orthopaedic conditions.
Allogeneic cell therapy involves the harvesting of cells from a healthy, universal donor, rather than from the patient being treated. ALLOB has shown safety and efficacy in preclinical studies and does not require any immunosuppressive side therapy.
ALLOB has the potential to become a first-line treatment for impaired fracture healing, thanks to its minimally invasive percutaneous administration.
Delayed union fractures, defined by the absence of fracture healing after 3 months, affect around 600,000 to 900,000 new patients a year in Europe and the US. The current standard of care for delayed union fractures involves highly invasive surgery, which takes up to several hours followed by a long hospitalization.
By contrast, this first administration of ALLOB required about 20 minutes and took place at the day-clinic. ALLOB is injected by the orthopaedic surgeon in a single dose percutaneously, directly into the fracture site. No side-effects have yet been reported.
This first-in-human, proof-of-concept, 6 months open-label phase I/IIa study is evaluating the safety and efficacy of ALLOB in the treatment of delayed union fractures of long bones.
ALLOB-treated patients will be assessed in comparison to baseline at 2 weeks, 1, 3 and 6 months using clinical (e.g., pain, weight-bearing) and radiological evaluation. Ultimately, 32 patients with delayed union fractures will be enrolled in the study.
Enrico Bastianelli, Chief Executive Officer of Bone Therapeutics commented: "Treating a patient for the first time with our allogeneic product ALLOB is a significant step forward for the progression of Bone Therapeutics’ regenerative therapy pipeline. Our allogeneic approach will lead to an "off-the-shelf" approach to treatment whilst offering delayed union patients the potential for a significant improvement in their condition without the need for invasive surgery.
ALLOB has the potential to add significant shareholder value as it could address multiple orthopaedic conditions as a first line treatment. This first in human trial is an important milestone both for realizing benefits for the patients as well as creating value for the Company."