Advanced Cell Technology
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| Type | Public |
|---|---|
| Traded as | OTCBB: ACTC |
| Industry | Biotechnology |
| Founded | 1994 |
| Headquarters | Santa Monica, California |
| Key people |
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| Products | Stem cell therapies for macular degeneration (human safety trial to start in 2010[1]), heart disease, and blood and cardiovascular disease.[2] |
| Website | www.advancedcell.com |
Advanced Cell Technology, Incorporated is a biotechnology company located in Marlborough, Massachusetts, USA. The company specializes in the development and commercialization of cell therapies for the treatment of a variety of diseases. ACT is primarily developing stem cell-based technologies, both adult and human embryonic, and other methods and treatments in the area of regenerative medicine.[3]
Formed in 1994, the company was led from 2005 to late 2010 by William M. Caldwell IV, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.[4] Upon Mr. Caldwell's death on December 13, 2010, Gary Rabin, a member of ACT's board of directors with experience in investment and capital raising, took over as Chairman and CEO.[5]
ACT's Chief Scientific Officer is Robert Lanza, MD, who is also Adjunct Professor at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.[6]
On August 23, 2006, the online edition of the science journal Nature published a paper by Dr. Lanza and others stating that his team had found a way to extract embryonic stem cells without destroying the actual embryo, deriving a stem cell line using a process similar to preimplantation genetic diagnosis, in which a single blastomere is extracted from a blastocyst.[7] This technical achievement would potentially enable scientists to work with new lines of embryonic stem cells derived using public funding.
On November 22, 2010, the company announced that it had received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to initiate the first-ever human clinical trial using embryonic stem cells to treat retinal disease [8]
Contents |
Research [edit]
AMD program using RPE cells [edit]
On November 30, 2010, ACT filed an Investigational New Drug application with the U.S. FDA for the first clinical trial using embryonic stem cells to treat Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration (Dry AMD).[9] Dry AMD is the most common form of macular degeneration and represents a market size of $25–30 Billion in the U.S. and Europe.[10]
Stargardt's Disease program using RPE cells [edit]
ACT is focused on commercializing its Retinal Pigment Epithelium therapy (RPE) for degenerative retinal disease. The company was approved on November 22, 2010 by the U.S. FDA to proceed with a Phase I/II human clinical trial to use its RPE cells to treat Stargardt disease, a form of inherited juvenile macular degeneration.[11]
Hemangioblast platform [edit]
The company is developing its Hemangioblast platform for the treatment of blood and cardiovascular diseases. This program is in the pre-clinical development phase.[2]
See also [edit]
- Key stem cell research events
- Somatic cell nuclear transfer
- Stem cells without embryonic destruction
References [edit]
- ^ "Company seeks to test stem cells for blindness". Reuters. 2009-11-25.
- ^ a b ACT website: Our technologies
- ^ "Race is on to use embryonic stem cells in humans". New Scientist. November 19, 2009.
- ^ "Executive Profile". BusinessWeek.com. 23 March 2010.
- ^ "Advanced Cell Technology Senior Executive Officers". Advanced Cell Technology. Retrieved 2012-05-03.
- ^ "New Method for Controversy Free Embryonic Stem Cells". Wired Science. 9 July 2008.
- ^ Klimanskaya I, Chung Y, Becker S, Lu SJ, Lanza R. (2006). "Human embryonic stem cell lines derived from single blastomeres". Nature 444 (7118): 481–5. doi:10.1038/nature05142. PMID 16929302.
- ^ "FDA approves second human embryonic stem cell trial". CNN.com. 22 November 2010.
- ^ Advanced Cell Technology Files IND with FDA for First Clinical Trial Using Embryonic Stem Cells to Treat Dry AMD.
- ^ ACT Seeks FDA Approval For Stem Cell Study.
- ^ Advanced Cell Technology Receives FDA Clearance For the First Clinical Trial Using Embryonic Stem Cells to Treat Macular Degeneration.
