Boehringer Ingelheim launches the first-ever registered stem cell-based veterinary medicine

Ingelheim, Germany, 9 April 2019 – Boehringer Ingelheim launches Arti-Cell^® Forte in Europe for the ‘reduction of mild to moderate recurrent lameness associated with non-septic joint inflammation in horses’.

Equine lameness is truly common and impacts horse performance as well as equine welfare¹. Current treatment is not satisfactory for all cases and there is a clear need for innovation and new treatment options. Hence, the significant interest in treatment beyond symptoms, namely combatting the underlying root cause.

Arti-Cell^® Forte is a groundbreaking first-ever approved therapy, developed towards targeting lameness, utilising specifically primed, chondrogenic induced stem cells. Arti-Cell^® Forte comes in an ultra-low frozen ready-to-use presentation.

Boehringer Ingelheim and Global Stem cell Technology (GST), that formed a partnership last year, have the same ambition to bring new treatments and solutions to improve animal health; therefore, Arti-Cell^® Forte was specifically designed for horses to provide a convenient and long-term² solution for recurrent lameness.

“A quarter of the entire equine population¹ develops osteoarthritis at some point in their life. Priming the cells towards cartilage aids them to deliver the right activities in the affected joint,” says Jan Spaas, CEO of GST. “We are absolutely delighted with our first marketing authorisation from the European Commission and the first stem cell-based product in animal health. We are sure that with our partner Boehringer Ingelheim this product will become a game changer in equine health.”

Dr. Erich Schoett, Head of the Global Strategic Business Unit Equine at Boehringer Ingelheim, shares: “We are proud to continue to set new standards of care for horses to optimise their health and well-being in partnership with veterinarians. Early disease detection and early treatment are key to ensure that horses are healthy and live longer, happier lives. Arti-Cell^® Forte as the first-ever approved stem cell-based product offers to veterinarians and horse owners a ready-to-use solution to help raising the health and quality of life for horses with mild to moderate recurrent lameness.”

Following the scientific review by the European Medicines Agency² and decision of EU marketing authorisation by the European Commission, Arti-Cell^® Forte is now approved as a veterinary medicine for the treatment of equine lameness. It will be available from May and June 2019 onwards in a range of European countries.

Boehringer Ingelheim
Improving the health and quality of life of patients is the goal of the research-driven pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim. The focus in doing so is on diseases for which no satisfactory treatment option exists to date. The company therefore concentrates on developing innovative therapies that can extend patients’ lives. In animal health, Boehringer Ingelheim stands for advanced prevention.

Family-owned since it was established in 1885, Boehringer Ingelheim is one of the pharmaceutical industry’s top 20 companies. Some 50,000 employees create value through innovation daily for the three business areas human pharmaceuticals, animal health and biopharmaceuticals. In 2017, Boehringer Ingelheim achieved net sales of nearly 18.1 billion euros. R&D expenditure, exceeding three billion euros, corresponded to 17.0 per cent of net sales.

As a family-owned company, Boehringer Ingelheim plans in generations and focuses on long-term success, rather than short-term profit. The company therefore aims at organic growth from its own resources with simultaneous openness to partnerships and strategic alliances in research. In everything it does, Boehringer Ingelheim naturally adopts responsibility towards mankind and the environment.

More information about Boehringer Ingelheim can be found on www.boehringer-ingelheim.com or in our annual report: http://annualreport.boehringer-ingelheim.com.

Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Business Unit
Boehringer Ingelheim is the second largest animal health business in the world. We are committed to creating animal wellbeing through our large portfolio of advanced, preventive healthcare products and services. With net sales of 3.9 billion euros (2017) and around 10,000 employees worldwide, we are present in more than 150 markets. For more information visit: https://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/animal-health/overview.

Global Stem cell Technology NV
GST is a privately owned company supported by Anacura and PMV. The main activities of GST are research and development and production of veterinary stem cell based products and their biotechnological applications. As a basis for stem cell therapies, GST uses highly potent stem cells from blood of mammals. GST thus translates regenerative medicine into clinical applications. The company was founded by veterinary stem cell researcher Jan H. Spaas (CEO) who is inventor of six patents and leading author on more than 25 scientifically peer-reviewed publications in this field. GST is globally ranked within the top 10 start-ups in animal health*. For more information, visit www.gst.be.

*https://pages.agribusinessintelligence.informa.com/animal-pharm-disruptors-innovators-2018  

Intended audiences:
This press release is issued from our Corporate Headquarters in Ingelheim, Germany, and is intended to provide information about our global business. Please be aware that information relating to the approval status and labels of approved products may vary from country to country, and a country-specific press release on this topic may have been issued in the countries where we do business.

References

¹Neundorf RH, MB Lowerison, AM Cruz, JJ Thomason, BJ

McEwen and MB Hurtig. (2010). Determination of the prevalence and severity of metacarpophalangeal joint osteoarthritis in Thoroughbred racehorses via quantitative macroscopic evaluation. Am J Vet Res 71:1284–1293

Van Weeren PR and JC de Grauw. (2010). Pain in osteoarthritis.

Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract 26:619–642

Goodrich, L.R., Nixon, A.J., 2006. Medical treatment of osteoarthritis in the horse – a review. Vet. J. 171, 51–69. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2004.07.008

²http://www.ema.europa.eu/docs/en_GB/document_library/Press_release/2018/06/WC500250844.pdf