MESOBLAST'S PRECLINICAL TRIAL RESULTS OF INTRACORONARY CELL THERAPY PUBLISHED IN CIRCULATION RESEARCH

NEW YORK, May 14, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mesoblast's preclinical trial results of its allogeneic, or "off-the-shelf", Mesenchymal Precursor Cells (MPC) delivered by intracoronary infusion in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) have been published in the May 2013 issue of Circulation Research, the leading research journal of the American
Heart Association.

The scientific publication, entitled "Intracoronary Infusion of Allogeneic Mesenchymal Precursor Cells Directly Following Experimental Acute Myocardial Infarction Reduces Infarct Size, Abrogates Adverse Remodeling and Improves Cardiac Function", can be viewed at
http://circres.ahajournals.org/content/early/2013/05/08/CIRCRESAHA.112.300730

The study was performed at the Thoraxcenter, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rottterdam, and was led by Professor Eric Duckers. In the randomized study of 68 sheep, intracoronary infusion of allogeneic MPC directly after an anterior AMI was found to be safe, feasible, and markedly effective. A single intracoronary MPC infusion decreased infarct size by 40%, abrogated left ventricular adverse remodelling, resulted in a marked reduction of left ventricular volumes, increased small and larger blood vessel density by 71% (capillaries) and 127% (arterioles), and prevented heart failure. These effects of MPC treatment on infarct size and myocardial perfusion resulted in a significant improvement of both global and regional cardiac function.

The results of this study form the scientific basis for the current AMICI trial (Allogeneic Mesenchymal precursor cell Infusion in myoCardial Infarction), the first trial to evaluate an allogeneic cellular therapy for AMI delivered by intracoronary infusion. The Phase 2A/2B trial is recruiting in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Professor Duckers is the Principal Investigator of the AMICI trial.

Mesoblast Limited

Mesoblast Limited is a world leader in the development of biologic products for the broad field of regenerative medicine. Mesoblast's patented Mesenchymal Precursor Cell (MPC) technology is being developed for an extensive range of major clinical diseases, including inflammatory and immunologic conditions of the joints and lungs, diabetes and kidney disease, orthopedic spine conditions, and cardiovascular disorders. www.mesoblast.com