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Additional information

Additional	Information
Market:	ASX
Sector:	Pharma & Biotech
Epic:	ASX:AVH
News:	Latest news
Web Site:	Avita Medical
Other Articles:	17-08-2009

FDA approves Avita Medical ReCell® Spray-On Skin clinical trial in USA

Avita Medical (ASX: AVH) has received approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to begin its US clinical trial for ReCell® Spray-On Skin.

This represents the first stand-alone regenerative point-of-care device enabling surgeons to treat burns, wounds and chronic skin defects using the patient’s own cells.

The company (as Clinical Cell Culture) had previously commenced US trials in 2006 under a conditional approval; due to excessively restrictive inclusion criteria patient recruitment was very low. 

Additionally, the company had failed to adequately address concerns of the FDA regarding study endpoints, patient follow-up and statistical analysis of collected data. The trial was suspended by Avita in July 2008. Working closely with the FDA, the company’s regulatory advisory group and key clinicians, the company recently submitted a modified study protocol.

The study will yield a randomised, controlled, clinical comparison with the current standard of care in treating burn wounds.

The company has appointed 10 clinical sites to participate in the trials; patient enrolment is anticipated to commence in early 2010.

“Avita is now on track for its US regulatory approval process for ReCell,” said Dr William Dolphin, Chief Executive Officer of Avita Medical."

 “With the FDA protocol approval in place, our next steps are to obtain IRB approval at each site and train investigators in the use of ReCell prior to enrolment of initial subjects," he said."

“We now have a pragmatic and clinically feasible trial protocol in place and we are confident of successfully achieving the trial endpoints.”

Part of the funding for the clinical trial comes from a US$1.45 million grant from the US Army to help develop regenerative medicine through the recently initiated Armed Forces Institute for Regenerative Medicine (AFIRM).

“ReCell is a transformational technology that will fundamentally change the way we treat burns and other wounds” said Dr James Holmes of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Principle Investigator for the trial.

“When ReCell is approved for use in the United States there is no doubt that it will save the lives of burn victims.”

"What's available today is the same technology that was available 30 years ago," said Dr Holmes. "In a burn one is always working against time. ReCell will allow us to turn back the clock on all kinds of burns. We are very anxious to complete administrative details and commence enrolment for this important study.”

ReCell is currently cleared for sale in Australia, Europe, Canada and China.

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