Scientific Study Confirms MiMedx dHACM Allograft Promotes Cardiac Repair Following Myocardial Infarction

MARIETTA, Ga., Jan. 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- MiMedx Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: MDXG), the leading regenerative medicine company utilizing human amniotic tissue and patent-protected processes to develop and market advanced products and therapies for the Wound Care, Surgical, Orthopedic, Spine, Sports Medicine, Ophthalmic, and Dental sectors of healthcare, announced today that the latest peer-reviewed scientific study of the MiMedx dehydrated human amnion/chorion membrane ("dHACM") allografts has been electronically published  in the Journal of Cardiology & Cardiovascular Therapy.

The paper entitled "Dehydrated Human Amnion/Chorion Membrane Allograft promotes Cardiac Repair Following Myocardial Infarction," was authored by Jeremy J. Lim, PhD; James Fonger, MD; and Thomas J. Koob, PhD. The electronic publication of the paper can be found at  https://juniperpublishers.com/jocct/pdf/JOCCT.MS.ID.555599.pdf.

Acute myocardial infarction, more commonly known as heart attack, results in irreversible damage or cell death to cardiac tissue and may ultimately lead to heart failure. MiMedx PURION Processed dHACM allografts contain a unique array of regenerative cytokines, growth factors, and extracellular matrix involved in the regulation of tissue healing and modulation of inflammation, suggesting that dHACM grafts may hold promise in treating infarcted cardiac tissue following a heart attack In the scientific study, EpiFix® and AmnioFix® allografts were examined for the ability to prevent cardiac damage or promote healing in an in vivo mouse model of acute left ventricular myocardial infarction.

Study Highlights:

The highlights of this scientific study, performed at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, are as follows: 

• Treatment of infarcted cardiac tissue with AmnioFix and EpiFix patches immediately after infarction reduced the size of fibrotic scarring after 8 weeks post-treatment, compared to controls treated with saline alone.
• Cellular analysis of the infarcted cardiac tissue following dHACM treatment exhibited the following outcomes:
  • dHACM increased the number of stem cells and cardiac progenitor cells;
  • dHACM enhanced cardiac cell survival with greater cell proliferation and decreased cell death; and
  • dHACM improved angiogenesis with an increased number of new blood vessels in the infarcted tissue.

Parker H. Petit, Chairman and CEO, stated, "There is a critical need for novel and innovative therapies for effective treatments following myocardial infarction and to promote regeneration of cardiac tissues. At present, total heart transplants and left ventricular assist devices are the primary forms of treatment and these treatments have significant limitations and substantial costs.  The ability of dHACM to attenuate damage or promote cardiac repair is worthy of very serious consideration in the cardiac care community. This scientific study is the first of its kind and the first published report confirming that dHACM may have positive effects in protecting cardiac tissue or promoting repair following acute myocardial infarction or heart attack."

"Treatment with dHACM in this animal model improved cardiac repair following myocardial infarction through multiple paracrine effects, including through improved cell survival, enhanced vascularization, and recruitment of autologous stem cells within the infarcted cardiac tissue," noted Thomas J. Koob, Chief Scientific Officer. "Follow up studies will be conducted to include demonstrating improvement of important outcomes such as left ventricular dimensions, contractility and ejection volume."

"In the study, dHACM allografts appeared to promote cardiac repair after myocardial infarction by reducing the size of fibrotic scaring in the mouse model. Study results such as the stimulated increase in positive stem cells, cell survival and vascularization in infarcted cardiac tissue, suggest that treatment with dHACM may improve cardiac repair through improved blood supply and recruitment of autologous stem cells," concluded Petit. 

About MiMedx

MiMedx® is an integrated developer, processor and marketer of patent protected and proprietary regenerative biomaterial products and bioimplants processed from human amniotic membrane and other human birth tissues, such as amniotic fluid, umbilical cord and placental collagen, and human skin and bone.  "Innovations in Regenerative Biomaterials" is the framework behind our mission to give physicians products and tissues to help the body heal itself.  We process the human amniotic membrane utilizing our proprietary PURION® Process, to produce a safe and effective implant. MiMedx proprietary processing methodology employs aseptic processing techniques in addition to terminal sterilization.  MiMedx is the leading supplier of amniotic tissue, having supplied over 700,000 allografts to date for application in the Wound Care, Burn, Surgical, Orthopedic, Spine, Sports Medicine, Ophthalmic and Dental sectors of healthcare.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release includes statements that look forward in time or that express management's beliefs, expectations or hopes.  Such statements are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  These statements include, but are not limited to, the ability of dHACM to attenuate damage or cardiac repair is worthy of very serious consideration in the cardiac community, and the follow-up studies that are planned to be conducted.  Among the risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements include that the  cardiac care community may not embrace the use of dHACM allografts in the treatment of myocardial infarction as anticipated, follow up studies may not produce the desired conclusions, and the risk factors detailed from time to time in the Company's periodic Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including, without limitation, its 10-K filing for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, and its most recent Form 10Q filing.  By making these forward-looking statements, the Company does not undertake to update them in any manner except as may be required by the Company's disclosure obligations in filings it makes with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the federal securities laws.

SOURCE MiMedx Group, Inc.