Oct 8, 2013, 6:00am MSTArizona Pain Specialists join study...

Oct 8, 2013, 6:00am MST
Arizona Pain Specialists join study
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Tory McJunkin

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Angela Gonzales
Senior Reporter-
Phoenix Business Journal
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Dr. Tory McJunkin, co-founder of Arizona Pain Specialists, is a principal investigator for a study examining how stem cells can be used to heal degenerative discs.
Mesoblast Ltd., an Australian company, produces stem cells using bone marrow from healthy donors in Australia, then injects them into the damaged disc. The company uses a proprietary cleansing system to grow the stem cells.
Results of the Phase II study have been sent to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for review, with plans to start the second study within six months.
Arizona Pain Specialists is one of 15 sites worldwide participating in the first clinical trials, and the only one in Arizona.
This trial is one of five the clinic is involved in, with plans for another handful in regenerative medicine, said McJunkin, a double board-certified interventional pain medicine physician.
“Nationally, they say one in four have chronic pain,” he said. “This is a bigger issue for the economy as our country goes more upside-down in revenue. It’s becoming a bigger deal about how we manage pain, diagnose and treat.”
$335.5 billion: The value of lost productivity in 2010 because of chronic pain among U.S. employees
Source: The Institute of Medicine
Angela Gonzales covers health, biotech and education.
Industries: Health Care
FDA closed due to Government shut down.