MELVILLE, N.Y., Feb. 27, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BioRestorative Therapies, Inc. ("BioRestorative" or the “Company") (OTC: BRTX), a life sciences company focused on stem cell-based therapies, today announced the creation of a Disc Advisory Committee (“Committee”) of its Scientific Advisory Board (“SAB”). Jason Lipetz, MD, a member of the Company’s SAB headed by Dr. Wayne Marasco, will Chair the newly formed Committee. Dr. Lipetz joined the SAB in October 2018.
In addition to Wayne Olan MD, the Director of the Company’s Disc/Spine Regenerative Program, the SAB added the following new members who are all members of the Committee:
- Harvinder Sandhu, MD
Dr. Harvinder Sandhu is an orthopedic spine surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery, specializing in minimally invasive spine surgery, endoscopic spine surgery, microsurgery, computer-assisted surgery, and the study and use of spinal biologics. Dr. Sandhu, who is very well published in the area of minimally invasive spinal surgery, completed his training in spinal surgery at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, California and was subsequently Chief of the Spinal Surgery Service at UCLA until 1997.
- Christopher Plastaras, MD
Dr. Plastaras is a physiatrist and MossRehab’s Clinical Director of Musculoskeletal Spine & Sports Rehabilitation Medicine. He is the former Director of The Penn Spine Rehabilitation Center at the University of Pennsylvania where he was also the Director of Penn’s Spine, Sports, and Musculoskeletal Medicine Fellowship (from 2009-2018) and a leader of the Penn Neuroscience Service Line (from 2015-2018). Dr. Plastaras received his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania and completed his residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine/Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.
- Gerard A. Malanga, MD
Dr. Malanga is a physiatrist and Founder and Partner of New Jersey Sports Medicine, LLC and New Jersey Regenerative Institute in Cedar Knolls. He is Board certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Sports Medicine and Pain Medicine. He completed a sports medicine fellowship at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota and served as Senior Associate Consultant at Mayo Clinic from 1993-1996. From 1997-2004 he served as the Director of Sport, Spine and Orthopedic Rehabilitation and fellowship program director at the Kessler Institute. He is the Chair of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Task Force on Regenerative Medicine and is the President of the Interventional Orthopedic Foundation.
Jason Lipetz, MD, Chairman of the Disc Advisory Committee, said, “It has been a privilege to have known and worked with each of these individuals over the past decades. We are honored to have them contribute to our advisory board, and their combined surgical and nonsurgical expertise in treating lumbosacral disc related pain will undoubtedly strengthen our efforts as we embark upon our phase 2 clinical trial and for years to come.”
Wayne Marasco, MD, Ph.D., Chairman of the BioRestorative Therapies Scientific Advisory Board, commented, "Dr. Jason Lipetz has recruited a prestigious team of spine experts. This SAB subcommittee will provide outstanding leadership and guidance to BRTX as we move toward initiation of our clinical trial for our lead BRTX-100 autologous stem cell product.”
About BioRestorative Therapies, Inc.
BioRestorative Therapies, Inc. (www.biorestorative.com) develops therapeutic products using cell and tissue protocols, primarily involving adult stem cells. Our two core programs, as described below, relate to the treatment of disc/spine disease and metabolic disorders:
• Disc/Spine Program (brtxDISC™): Our lead cell therapy candidate, BRTX-100, is a product formulated from autologous (or a person’s own) cultured mesenchymal stem cells collected from the patient’s bone marrow. We intend that the product will be used for the non-surgical treatment of painful lumbosacral disc disorders. The BRTX-100 production process utilizes proprietary technology and involves collecting a patient’s bone marrow, isolating and culturing stem cells from the bone marrow and cryopreserving the cells. In an outpatient procedure, BRTX-100 is to be injected by a physician into the patient’s damaged disc. The treatment is intended for patients whose pain has not been alleviated by non-invasive procedures and who potentially face the prospect of surgery. We have received authorization from the Food and Drug Administration to commence a Phase 2 clinical trial using BRTX-100 to treat persistent lower back pain due to painful degenerative discs.
• Metabolic Program (ThermoStem®): We are developing a cell-based therapy to target obesity and metabolic disorders using brown adipose (fat) derived stem cells to generate brown adipose tissue (“BAT”). BAT is intended to mimic naturally occurring brown adipose depots that regulate metabolic homeostasis in humans. Initial preclinical research indicates that increased amounts of brown fat in the body may be responsible for additional caloric burning as well as reduced glucose and lipid levels. Researchers have found that people with higher levels of brown fat may have a reduced risk for obesity and diabetes.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors and other risks, including those set forth in the Company's Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no obligation to update such statements.
CONTACT:
Email: ir@biorestorative.com