IMAC Holdings Receives FDA Authorization to Initiate Clinical Study of Its Umbilical Cord-Derived Allogenic Mesenchymal Stem Cells for the Treatment of Bradykinesia Due to Parkinson’s Disease
BRENTWOOD, Tenn., Aug. 05, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- IMAC Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: IMAC) (the “Company” or “IMAC”), a provider of innovative medical advancements and care specializing in regenerative rehabilitation orthopedic treatments without the use of surgery or opioids, today announced the United States Food and Drug Administration (the “FDA”) approved its investigational new drug application, which IMAC submitted in May 2020, for the use of umbilical cord-derived allogenic mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of bradykinesia, or the gradual loss and slowing down of spontaneous body movement, due to Parkinson’s disease.
The Company will now initiate enrollment of 15 patients for its Phase 1 trial to evaluate the safety and tolerability of the stem cell product acquired from technology developed by a major research university to treat patients with Bradykinesia due to Parkinson’s utilizing intravenous administration of Wharton’s jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells. The Company believes that the causes of bradykinesia may be related to an inflammatory response in the body. The Company’s new study is designed to confirm this belief and support the Company’s long-term strategy for the use of regenerative medicine in combination with physical rehabilitation to reduce the effect of movement-restricting diseases.
“Our regenerative rehabilitation centers have long focused on the importance of finding and applying non-opioid, non-surgical solutions to physical ailments in orthopedics. In 2017, our neurosurgeon researched opportunities to apply stem cells to treating Parkinson’s, and we put a team together to design a treatment for our neurological patients that simply could not achieve maximum benefit from physical therapy alone,” commented Jeffrey Ervin, IMAC’s Chief Executive Officer. “Having received approval to proceed with our study, IMAC is extremely optimistic regarding the potential of this stem cell technology. This has the potential to not only expand proprietary service options for neurological patients, but also advance the way physically debilitating inflammatory conditions are managed as a whole. We would like to thank the FDA for the collaborative process and the partners who helped us achieve this milestone, including patient advocate, Doug Oliver and his team at Regenerative Outcomes.”
The Phase 1 trial will consist of three treatment protocols: five patients with bradykinesia due to Parkinson’s will receive a low dose intravenous infusion of stem cells, five patients will receive a medium dose intravenous infusion of stem cells and five patients will receive a high dose intravenous infusion of stem cells. The Phase 1 trial will be conducted over 12 months to determine the incidence and extent of adverse events, although the Company will also investigate the efficacy of its stem cell treatment. More information on the clinical trial, including patient criteria, can be found on clinicaltrials.gov.