A new report released by Alliance for Cell Therapy Now, an independent, non-profit organization guided by leaders representing academic and medical institutions, industry innovators, and patients, summarizes clinical studies that are now underway that explore the use of cell-based therapies for seriously ill patients with COVID-19.
According to the report, there are at least 114 clinical studies that explore the use of cell-based therapies for patients with COVID-19, nearly all of which are either Phase 1 or Phase 2 studies. At least 140 review articles have been published over the last 12 months that describe the promise or potential of these therapies for those affected by this deadly disease.
More than 30 million Americans have tested positive for COVID-19 and more than 540,000 individuals have died. While vaccines are making their way to eligible populations and therapies are beginning to emerge, to date, no approved therapy has shown significant benefit for the most severe cases, in which individuals are hospitalized.
Early evidence shows that cell-based therapies—in particular, mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs)—can play a key role in helping severely ill patients with COVID-19, given their immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory characteristics.
While early results of clinical studies are promising, large-scale, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials, along with cell characterization and optimization and scaling of manufacturing, are needed to confirm early results and help bring safe and effective treatments to patients in need.