Pamisel, Stem Cell Therapy Helps Severe COVID-19 Patients Recover

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyungsoo Park] Pharmicell announced on the 22nd that two additional severe patients have recovered while its allogeneic mesenchymal stem cell therapy Cellgram-AKI is being used to treat COVID-19. Including two patients who were cured last April, a total of four severe patients have recovered through Cellgram-AKI so far.

A company official explained, "Patients administered with Cellgram-AKI were in a very critical condition, suffering from hypoxemia due to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) until just before the treatment, requiring intubation and mechanical ventilation," adding, "They have shown improvement and stabilized after just one administration."

Pharmicell's Cellgram-AKI received 'approval for use under treatment purpose' for treating severe pneumonia in COVID-19 infected patients. As the government implements active quarantine measures, the number of severe patients is decreasing. This is why it has not been provided to many patients. Given its high therapeutic efficacy, Pharmicell maintains the readiness to use the treatment.

Mesenchymal stem cells exert cell regeneration and immunological regulatory abilities, inducing a strong systemic anti-inflammatory response. Therefore, it is expected to be helpful even for patients who have stayed in intensive care units for a long time with significantly impaired lung function or those with multiple organ failure. Pharmicell promptly sends and supports the necessary documents for approval from hospital Institutional Review Boards (IRB) upon the attending physician's request to ensure rapid supply of the therapy.

Cellgram-AKI was originally an allogeneic mesenchymal stem cell therapy to prevent acute kidney injury. Pharmicell judged that stem cells could be effective in preventing symptom aggravation caused by cytokine storms through anti-inflammatory action and obtained approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in March last year for 'approval for use under treatment purpose' for severe pneumonia in COVID-19 infected patients. Due to the global pandemic situation, it would take a long time to go through the usual clinical trial procedures, so they chose to obtain rapid approval to provide the therapy to patients.

Stem cells are also being used to treat COVID-19 patients in the United States, China, Israel, and other countries. Numerous clinical results and papers reporting successful treatments have been published. Interest in stem cell therapies continues.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.