Cardio3 BioSciences , the biotechnology firm based on Mayo Clinic research, is part of a European research consortium that recently snagged a four-year research grant for $4.5 million euros or $6 million U.S. dollars to develop "a bioresorbable polymeric valve tube for the treatment of patient suffering congenital heart defects."
Cardio3 licensed Mayo Clinic's research back in 2007. That research is led by Mayo Clinic's Dr. Andre Terzic and
Dr. Atta Behfar
. The therapy uses stem cells from a patient's bone marrow. Through a proprietary process called Cardiopoiesis, Cardio3 re-programs those cells to become heart cells. The cells are then injected back into the patient's heart to repair damaged tissue.
Here's some from the announcement of this latest project:
Cardio3 BioSciences… is part of a consortium which has been awarded a highly competitive European Union Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (FP7) research grant from the European Union to support the development of a bioresorbable polymeric valve tube for the treatment of patient suffering congenital heart defects.
The project, titled "Tissue engineering of the right heart outflow tract by biofunctionalized bioresorbable polymeric valved tube", or "TEH-TUBE", is a four year project and will start on 1st January 2014.
C3BS is part of a first-in-class, pan-European consortium composed of seven companies and universities, led by the "Assistance Publique Hopitaux de Paris (APHP)" and the team of Professor David Kalfa and Philippe Menasché.
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C3BS is the exploitation manager of the consortium and as such is in charge of exploiting the outcome of the research project. Within the consortium, Cardio3 is also in charge of the production of the mesenchymal stem cells and the definition and the implementation of the regulatory strategy.
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"We are delighted to be part of a project which represents a potential paradigm shift in the treatment of congenital cardiac diseases," said Dr. Christian Homsy, CEO of Cardio3 BioSciences. "We are also honored to be chosen by our partners to exploit the outcome of this program. It demonstrates the confidence and the recognition of our peers in the expertise we have built over the past years. FP7 grants are awarded on the basis of a highly competitive, two-stage, peer-review process, therefore this award serves as recognition of our cell production, regulatory and clinical expertise."
This wraps up a big year for Cardio3 BioSciences. It released an IPO in July on NYSE Euronext stock exchanges in Brussels and Paris that raised $29.6 million, or 23 million Euros.
