MIAMI, Oct. 29, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Longeveron LLC, a biopharmaceutical company that develops cell therapies for aging-related diseases, announced that Joshua M. Hare, M.D., will be a speaker at the 2018 Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) Entrepreneur Expo & Stem Cell Symposium, to be held October 30 at the Hotel at the University of Maryland. Longeveron is also an event sponsor.
Dr. Hare will discuss the progress and findings of Longeveron's clinical research to develop stem cell treatments for aging related diseases, including Aging Frailty and Alzheimer's, as part of a panel addressing "Realizing the Potential of Stem Cell Therapies." Earlier this year, TEDCO awarded the company a $750,000 grant to fund Longeveron's study examining the safety and efficacy of its allogeneic Mesenchymal Stem Cell (MSC) product to improve flu vaccine immune-response in elderly patients with Frailty. The project is being conducted in collaboration with Sean Leng, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Medicine, and his research team in the Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
"Influenza is a common and devastative viral infection for older adults, particularly for those who are frail. Efforts on boosting immune response to flu vaccine for the elderly have been devoted to improve the vaccine itself, leading to FDA approval of high-dose and adjuvanted vaccines. MSC therapy, however, represents a novel strategy that addresses immunosenescence of the vulnerable host," Dr. Leng said.
"MSC has the potential for improving immune function likely beyond immunity against influenza. As a geriatrician, I am glad to see that Longeveron has taken the lead in the effort helping our elderly patients fighting against influenza, and happy to be part of this important research endeavor. The TEDCO symposium is timely as we are just getting into the 2018-2019 influenza season," Dr. Leng continued.
"We are very pleased to join other entrepreneurs and experts at the TEDCO symposium who are leading the way in developing innovative stem cell treatments that show great promise to be the therapies of tomorrow," Dr. Hare said.
Longeveron is researching treatments based on its Mesenchymal Stem Cells for a variety of aging-related diseases. In 2017, Longeveron published positive Phase I and Phase 2 clinical studies in the Journals of Gerontology that evaluated the safety and efficacy of its Mesenchymal Stem Cells in patients with Aging Frailty, a serious geriatric syndrome that can lead to other severe health conditions, such as heart disease. The company is now recruiting for an expanded Phase 2b Aging Frailty study.
Longeveron is also recruiting for a Phase 1 Alzheimer's trial, and Phase 1 and 2 trials to evaluate the safety and efficacy of its stem cells for improving flu vaccine immune response in Aging Frailty patients. Longeveron's MSC product is derived from the bone marrow of young, healthy adult donors.
About Longeveron
Longeveron (www.longeveron.com) is a regenerative medicine therapy company founded in 2014. Longeveron's goal is to provide the first of its kind biological solution for aging-related diseases, and is dedicated to developing safe cell-based therapeutics to revolutionize the aging process and improve quality of life. The company's research focus areas Aging Frailty, the Metabolic Syndrome and Alzheimer's Disease and gratefully acknowledges the generous support of the National Institutes of Health, the Alzheimer's Association and Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund. Longeveron is also conducting a Phase 1 trial to study Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, a rare indication that affects infants, supported through a grant from the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund.
For more information about the clinical trials Longeveron is sponsoring, visit ClinicalTrials.gov or Longeveron's website www.longeveron.com
SOURCE Longeveron LLC
