S/A article
Wall
Wall Street Titan: I have covered Athersys (ATHX) on SA for a number of years and, like all long-term shareholders, have been disappointed by a clinical timeline that has extended out much longer than anyone anticipated. However, this should be the year that we see partner data out of Japan in the huge unmet medical need of ischemic stroke using the company's regenerative stem cell product called MultiStem. MultiStem is a type of stem cell that has been shown to modulate the hyperinflammation in the brain that arises after a stroke and does great damage beyond the clot. MultiStem also creates a more favorable environment to promote neurogenesis, angiogenesis, and healing. I did a deep dive into the science behind this program in a 2016 article that reviews the Phase II results and my rationale for optimism. We should see results from stroke in 2020 and they could be a game changer. Athersys also has an advanced program in Japan in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome that has shown great promise in a Phase II trial. Both Japan trials are funded by partner Healios KK, (Healios K.K.) a leading Japan-based stem cell biotech that's betting its entire future on MultiStem's success and has made a substantial financial commitment to the Athersys programs. Healios is the largest shareholder of Athersys.
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