Singapore: Australian company Mesoblast has outlined the company's strategic plans to develop adult stem cell therapies for neurodegenerative diseases. In an update on Mesoblast's strategic alliance with Teva Pharmaceutical Industries in the fields of neurologic and cardiovascular diseases, Chief Executive Professor Silviu Itescu discussed plans to commercially develop Mesoblast's proprietary allogeneic, or off-the-shelf adult dental pulp stem cells (DPSC) for stroke, spinal cord injury, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases.

Mesoblast has exclusive worldwide commercial rights to granted composition of matter patents covering DPSC, which are STRO-1 positive Mesenchymal Precursor Cells (MPCs) of neural crest origin. These cells produce significantly greater levels of neurotrophic factors and are significantly more effective than other adult stem cell types for neural differentiation and repair of various neural cells and tissues.

Professor Itescu also said the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency were aligned on the clinical trial design and the primary and secondary endpoints.