Article preview from Medtech Insight - January , 2012
The dream of turning stem cell research into mainstream clinical therapies is making significant progress, as a large number of cell-based clinical studies are currently underway - some 2,700 stem cell clinical trials registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov between February 2000 and June 2010. While several companies have launched stem cell products onto the market, it’s the number of products in the pipeline that is starting to capture the attention of observers – including investors – who believe activity in current clinical trials is a telling sign of where the industry is headed.
Article preview from Medtech Insight - January , 2012
Clinicians, patient advocacy groups, investors, and other interested parties have been waiting for stem cell research to take a giant next step forward and become a viable therapeutic treatment for a large variety of medical conditions. Over the past several years, the promise – and hype – of stem cell therapy has raised expectations for some of the most troubling disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and stroke. The good news is the number of stem cell-based companies conducting clinical trials continues to grow, and therapies derived from stem cell research appear to be on the path toward mainstream clinical use. However, researchers continually remind observers that work with stem cells is still in the early stages and more time will be needed before it becomes clear whether the technology will live up to its potential.
That is not to say all major stem cell-based therapies only exist in preliminary phases in academia’s labs and research facilities. In fact, a number of companies have launched stem cell products onto the market. But it is the number of products in the pipeline that is starting to capture the attention of observers – including investors – who believe activity in current clinical trials is a telling sign of where the industry is headed.
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