Bioheart (BHRT) shares are up 22 percent today on the news that a Phase II/III clinical trial of its stem cell treatment for heart failure is producing promising results. The treatment is among the first to use stem cells to repair heart damage, the South Florida Business Journal reports. The trial, dubbed Marvel, is also the first of its kind to utilize catheter-based cell delivery in a double-blinded, placebo-controlled study.
The Marvel trial involved patients suffering from chronic heart failure. Participants given Bioheart's treatment--many of whom also suffer from diabetes--responded well in the first phase of the trial, gaining the ability to walk 91 meters further during the 6-minute test than at the start of the six-month observation period, says the Sunrise, Florida-based company. Those in the placebo group walked four meters less. "This may suggest that patients with heart failure could return to a more active lifestyle after receiving Bioheart's treatment," the company said in a statement.
- here's the Bioheart release
- and the Business Journal report