Cellular Biomedicine Group Inc. announced the launch of a Phase I clinical trial of an off-the-shelf allogeneic adipose-derived mesenchymal progenitor cell (haMPC) AlloJoin therapy for Knee Osteoarthritis (KOA). AlloJoin therapy is built on the company's promising technology platform and clinical experience using autologous adipose-derived mesenchymal progenitor cells (haMPC) ReJoin therapy for the treatment of KOA. In addition to the safety and efficacy being demonstrated in clinical trials for the autologous ReJoin therapy, the safety profile of allogeneic stem cell therapies in humans has been documented, and animal model studies conducted by the company have also provided preliminary evidence of efficacy of allogeneic adipose derived and expanded mesenchymal progenitor cells for treatment of KOA.

The development of an allogeneic product seeks to provide additional benefits to patients and physicians in that it generates a bank of third-party donor haMPCs that can be used for off-the-shelf treatment, allowing for ease of manufacture and use, lower costs and a selection of more healthy donors. This could increase the number of patients that can be treated by a single isolation with the same quality manufacturing procedures.