ROCKVILLE, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun. 24, 2009--
Neuralstem, Inc. (NYSE Amex: CUR) announced today that it has entered
into a sponsored research agreement with the China Medical University &
Hospital of Taiwan, in Taichung, Taiwan, to prepare for a human clinical
trial using Neuralstem’s human spinal cord neural stem cells to treat
stroke patients. The therapy will focus on patients whose post-stroke
symptoms, including complete or partial paralysis, have stopped
improving more than six months after an ischemic stroke. Ischemic
stroke, caused by a blockage in a vessel supplying blood to the brain,
is the most common type of stroke and affects more than 400,000 people
in the United States yearly. There are about 6.5 million stroke
survivors in the U.S. alone.
“We are excited to be moving forward in treating stroke with our cells,”
said Richard Garr, Neuralstem President & CEO. “The preclinical program,
which we expect will take between nine months to a year, will focus on
qualifying our existing cGMP (Good Manufacturing Process) spinal cord
cells into a human trial program to treat post-stroke symptoms in
Taiwan. With a population of nearly 23 million, Taiwan is a substantial
and important market in Asia, and China Medical University is the
national leader in innovative neurological research and treatments,”
added Garr. “We are very pleased to be working with another world-class
institution, and with Principal Investigators, Dr. Shinn-Zong Lin, M.D.,
Ph.D. and Dr. Woei-Cherng Shyu, M.D., Ph.D., as we build out our
worldwide network of neurosurgical centers capable of conducting
clinical trials, and ultimately delivering our cell therapies.”
About Neuralstem, Inc.
Neuralstem's patented technology enables, for the first time, the
ability to produce neural stem cells of the human brain and spinal cord
in commercial quantities, and the ability to control the differentiation
of these cells into mature, physiologically relevant human neurons and
glia. The Company is targeting major central nervous system diseases
including: Ischemic Spastic Paraplegia, Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury,
Huntington’s disease and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), often
referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease. Neuralstem’s IND (Investigational
New Drug) application is under review with the FDA for ALS. ALS is a
progressive fatal neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in
the brain, leading to the degeneration and death of the motor neurons in
the spinal cord that control muscle movement. ALS affects roughly 30,000
people in the U.S., with about 7,000 new diagnoses per year.
Pre-clinical work has shown Neuralstem’s cells to extend the life of
rats with ALS (as reported the journal TRANSPLANTATION, in collaboration
with Johns Hopkins University researchers), and also reversed paralysis
in rats with Ischemic Spastic Paraplegia, (as reported in NEUROSCIENCE;
June 29, 2007, in collaboration with researchers
at University of California San Diego).
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Information
This news release may contain forward-looking statements made pursuant
to the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that such forward-looking
statements in this press release regarding potential applications of
Neuralstem's technologies constitute forward-looking statements that
involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, risks
inherent in the development and commercialization of potential products,
uncertainty of clinical trial results or regulatory approvals or
clearances, need for future capital, dependence upon collaborators and
maintenance of our intellectual property rights. Actual results may
differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward- looking
statements. Additional information on potential factors that could
affect our results and other risks and uncertainties are detailed from
time to time in Neuralstem's periodic reports, including the annual
report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2009.
Source: Neuralstem, Inc.
For Neuralstem, Inc.
Richard Garr, President, 301-366-4960
Ina
McGuinness, Investor Relations, 310-954-1100
Deanne Eagle, Media,
917-837-5866
