TOKYO: Japanese drugmaker Sumitomo Pharma said Friday that the first patient had received its newly approved Parkinson’s stem cell therapy at Kyoto University Hospital in October.
The procedure followed Japan’s conditional approval of the treatment in March. Known as Amchepry, the therapy uses induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells developed from healthy donors.
Scientists turn these cells into precursors of dopamine-producing nerve cells before transplanting them into the patient’s brain. Parkinson’s disease damages nerve cells that produce dopamine, a chemical that helps control movement.
Sumitomo Pharma developed the treatment to improve motor symptoms in patients who do not respond adequately to existing medicines.
“The first transplant was performed at Kyoto University Hospital in October,” the company announced in its financial results on Friday. The drugmaker did not provide further details about the patient’s condition in that announcement.
Earlier research involved seven patients aged between 50 and 69. Doctors transplanted either five million or 10 million cells into both sides of their brains.
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Researchers monitored the participants for two years and found no major adverse effects. Four patients showed improvements in their symptoms.
However, Japanese regulators granted only conditional approval, requiring further evidence of safety and effectiveness. Sumitomo Pharma plans to carry out another 20 to 30 transplants by March 2029.
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The company is also conducting clinical research in the United States. More than 10 million people worldwide live with Parkinson’s disease, according to the Parkinson’s Foundation.
Existing treatments can relieve symptoms but do not stop the disease from progressing. Japan has also approved another iPS cell-based therapy for heart disease, with the first related operation taking place in Osaka in September.
