First Longeveron Mesenchymal Stem Cell Treatment Administered to an Infant with Rare Heart Condition as Part of Groundbreaking Clinical Trial

MIAMI, Feb. 27, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Longeveron announced that its pioneering clinical trial to treat infants with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome officially started with the first patient receiving the company's mesenchymal stem cell therapy in a procedure performed at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore.

Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS) is a rare and often fatal heart condition caused by an underdeveloped heart. One aim of the clinical trial is to determine if the stem cell treatment can improve the ventricular function of the heart in affected infants.

"The hope is the stem cell therapy available through this clinical trial will be a game-changer for these infants, an effective way to improve their outcomes and allow them to live longer lives," said Dr. Sunjay Kaushal, Director of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery at the University of Maryland. Dr. Kaushal performed the procedure.

The Allogeneic hMSC Injection in Patients With Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (ELPIS) is an open-label clinical trial enrolling 30 infants with HLHS. The study is a partnership between Longeveron, a Miami-based regenerative medicine company, the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University. The Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund (MSCRF) provided a $750,000 grant to support this groundbreaking stem cell research.

The grant was part of the MSCRF's Accelerating Cure initiative. The Maryland Governor and the state's General Assembly established the MSCRF through the Maryland Stem Cell Research Act of 2006 to accelerate research using human stem cells and advance medical treatment.

About Longeveron

Longeveron 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 include Alzheimer's disease, Aging Frailty, and the Metabolic Syndrome, and gratefully acknowledges the generous support of the National Institutes of Health and the Alzheimer's Association.   Longeveron is also conducting a Phase 1 trial with the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University to study Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, a rare indication that affects infants, and gratefully acknowledges the support and collaboration from the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund.

To learn more, visit Longeveron.com. 

SOURCE Longeveron LLC