Guildford, UK, 1 February 2010: ReNeuron Group plc (LSE: RENE.L) today announces the appointment of four opinion-leading clinicians to its newly-established Clinical Advisory Board for its ReN009 stem cell therapy for peripheral arterial disease (PAD). The Clinical Advisory Board will advise the Company on the clinical development of the ReN009 therapy and review and monitor its progress along the clinical development pathway.
The appointments, listed alphabetically, are as follows:
John P Cooke MD, PhD – Stanford University, California, US
Dr Cooke is a Professor in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine, and Associate Director (Education and Training) of the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute. At Stanford, he spearheads the programme in Vascular Biology and Medicine and directs a translational research programme in vascular biology from molecule to man, focused on endothelial biology, angiogenesis and vascular regeneration. The programme is funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the American Heart Association, and industry. Dr Cooke has published over 350 manuscripts, book chapters, and patents in the arena of vascular medicine and biology. He serves on US national and international committees that deal with cardiovascular diseases, including those of the American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology, and the US National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. He is Past President of the US Society for Vascular Medicine and a Director of the American Board of Vascular Medicine.
William R Hiatt MD – University of Colorado Denver, US
Dr Hiatt is the Novartis Foundation endowed Professor for Cardiovascular Research in the Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine. He is chief of the Section of Vascular Medicine, with appointments in cardiology and geriatrics. He is also the President of the Colorado Prevention Center, a university-affiliated, non-profit cardiovascular and clinical trials research organisation that directs study design and provides academic oversight of trials of drugs and angiogenic therapies for PAD. He is a past-president of the Society for Vascular Medicine and is a fellow in the American Heart Association and the American College of Physicians. He is currently the Chair of the American Heart Association Peripheral Vascular Disease Council. Dr Hiatt also serves on the editorial board as an Associate Editor for the journal Vascular Medicine, the Cochrane Review Group on “Peripheral Vascular Disease,” and he is guest editor for Circulation and the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Dr Hiatt is the immediate past Chairman of the United States Food and Drug Administration Cardiovascular and Renal Advisory Committee (2003-08). Dr Hiatt’s academic career has centered on clinical, educational, and research issues in cardiovascular medicine and PAD, resulting in over 150 peer-reviewed publications.
Douglas Losordo MD – Northwestern University, Chicago, US
Dr Losordo is the Director of the US Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute and the Eileen M. Foell Professor of Heart Research at Northwestern University’s School of Medicine and Director of the Program in Cardiovascular Regenerative Medicine at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. He is board-certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease, and interventional cardiology and is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American College of Physicians, the American College of Chest Physicians, and the US Society for Cardiac Angiography and Interventions. Dr Losordo’s major research inte rests encompass angiogenesis/ vasculogenesis, progenitor/adult stem cells, tissue repair/regeneration, and vascular biology. His group has executed the full “translational medicine” paradigm, identifying novel therapeutics in the laboratory, developing these strategies in small and large animal models and designing and executing first-in-man clinical trials. Examples include VEGF gene therapy for myocardial ischemia and diabetic neuropathy, and CD34+ cell therapy for refractory angina, critical limb ischemia and severe claudication. Dr Losordo has also trained numerous scientists and physician scientists from around the world.
Paolo Madeddu MD – Bristol Heart Institute, University of Bristol, UK
Professor Madeddu is Chair of Experimental Cardiovascular Medicine, Bristol Heart Institute, University of Bristol. Prior to this, he was a Consultant in Internal Medicine and Assistant Professor in Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Sassari, Italy, and Chief of Gene Therapy and Experimental Medicine Division INBB, Inter-University Consortium, Italy. He was also a Senior Research Fellow, Hypertension Unit, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, US. Professor Madeddu’s research activities have resulted in over 170 peer-reviewed publications. His research is directed towards the development of more effective strategies to treat chronic limb and myocardial ischaemia as well as diabetes-related microvascular complications, in particular impaired angiogenesis and wound healing. Professor Madeddu’s research has identified novel angiogenic factors, in particular human tissue kallikrein, and has developed platforms for translational research to bring these discoveries from the bench to the bedside. More recently, his research has explored the potential of stem cell transplantation to achieve therapeutic angiogenesis. This research, including work done in collaboration with ReNeuron, has involved studies examining the therapeutic potential of human stem cells for the regeneration of wounded tissues in murine models of myocardial infarction and ischaemic diabetic wounds.
Dr John Sinden, Chief Scientific Officer of ReNeuron, said:
“We are absolutely delighted to have established a PAD Clinical Advisory Board of such eminent scientists in their field, reflecting the clinical potential of our ReN009 therapy. Their highly accomplished and wide-ranging research and clinical expertise and experience, in both the UK and the US, will prove invaluable as we take our ReN009 therapy for PAD to the clinic.“
Enquiries:
Michael Hunt, Chief Executive Officer
Dr John Sinden, Chief Scientific Officer
ReNeuron Group plc +44 (0) 1483 302560
Jonathan Birt, Susan Quigley
Financial Dynamics +44 (0) 20 7831 3113
Simon Leathers, Emma Earl
Daniel Stewart & Company plc +44 (0) 20 7776 6550
Alastair Stratton, Tim Graham
Matrix Corporate Capital LLP +44 (0) 20 3206 7000
About ReNeuron
ReNeuron is a leading, UK-based stem cell business. Its primary objective is the development of stem cell therapies targeting areas of significant unmet or poorly met medical need.
ReNeuron has received regulatory and conditional ethical approvals to commence a Phase I clinical trial in the UK with its lead ReN001 stem cell therapy for disabled stroke patients. The Company is developing stem cell therapies for a number of other conditions, including peripheral arterial disease and diseases of the retina.
ReNeuron has also developed a range of stem cell lines for non-therapeutic applications – its ReNcell® products for use in academic and commercial research. The Company’s ReNcell®CX and ReNcell®VM neural cell lines are marketed worldwide under license by USA-based Millipore Corporation.
ReNeuron’s shares are traded on the London AIM market under the symbol RENE.L. Further information on ReNeuron and its products can be found at www.reneuron.com.