I believe Mesoblast has found
yet another application (
another cash cow) for MSCs in the ARDS area. We all know Remestemcel-L is showing success in ARDS/COVID-19 patients as can be attested by posts pointing to the 10 odd patients getting treatment from the compassionate use feature.
But what about those patients who have
already been given the ventilator treatment before Remestemcel-L came into the picture (ventilators are being used left, right and center all over the world for COVID-19 patients)? I am talking about those that have gotten "better" and have been released from ICUs.
Well, almost all of these patients who have had the ventilator treatment are afflicted with VILI (Ventilator Induced Lung Injury). Due to the forceful mechanical pumping by a ventilator, the alveoli (air sacs) in the lungs get stretched and damaged, resulting in VILI. There have been many articles in the press recently where doctors have expressed concern that ventilators are being
OVERUSED in ARDS/COVID-19 patients.
The issue then is quite severe to these patients. The below link describes VILI:
https://pulmccm.org/review-articles/ventilator-induced-lung-injury-review-nejm/
MSCs have shown to reduce VILI (albeit the studies so far have been on rats, afaik):
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22106021
By the time Mesoblast's Remestemcel-L is approved by the FDA (and by other regulatory agencies such as EMA, in Japan, Australia etc.), the number of people treated with Ventilators and afflicted with VILI would have mushroomed into the tens of thousands.
So here is my analysis:
If the NIH sponsored RCT (Randomized Controlled Trial) for Remestemcel-L for ARDS patients can show repair of VILI, then those tens of thousands of VILI patients who have
already been discharged from ICUs, can
also be given Remestemcel-L to repair their lungs.
That would add big numbers to Mesoblast's patient base for the use of Remestemcel-L.
Another
cash cow. Can you say
MOO-soblast? Or is it
Moneyblast?
@benelong: Regarding your question to me about possible insider trading by those in the know regarding Remestemcel-L's effectiveness during compassionate use. Here is my take:
It's not a perfect world. I suppose hospital staff are made to sign legal documents stating they would not use info to benefit from stock trading. Even then, it would be near impossible to police and or even prosecute. I am sure FDA officials approving drugs sign such documents but it would be naive to think they or their family/friends do not take advantage of "inside info". I am not saying they are doing it. I am just saying that the world is not perfect. The SEC in the US turns a blind eye to many things (google Bernie Madoff). I am sure your ASX 'police' are the same. Many Seeking Alpha writers post a disclaimer that they 'do not have a position in the equity covered'. Do I believe that? No. Stuff happens.
(20min delay)