Neuralstem Obtains UCSD Stem Cell Delivery System for use in Spinal Cord Trials

Stem cell company, Neuralstem, Inc. has announced that it has exclusively licensed the "Spinal Multisegmental Cell and Drug Delivery System," invented by Dr. Martin Marsala at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD).

The exclusive, worldwide license to Neuralstem covers all fields of use and includes the right to grant sublicenses. Under the terms of the agreement, UCSD will be eligible for milestone payments and royalties and Neuralstem will assume the cost of development, manufacture and approval of the product.

"Neuralstem is actively pursuing human clinical trials for its human spinal cord stem cells to treat Ischemic Paraplegia, ALS and Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury," said Neuralstem CEO Richard Garr.

"All three indications require delivering our cells directly into the spinal cord. We believe that Dr. Marsala's injection device will allow for a minimally invasive injection of the cells into the spinal cord, thus significantly reducing the risk of the surgery to any patients receiving cell or drug therapy administered directly into the spinal cord."

The device provides a unique method for delivering cells horizontally along the length of the spinal cord," said Dr. Marsala, "which will reduce the number of entry sites needed for therapeutic intervention. We believe that this will greatly enhance the likelihood of success for treating many indications."

Dr. Marsala went on to say, "Neuralstem has not only shown a strong commitment to moving their spinal cord stem cells into the clinic, but to creating a therapy that can be broadly and safely delivered. We are excited to have them as our exclusive licensee for this important technology."