Press Releases

VetStem Biopharma Regenerative Cell Therapy has been Used on over 13,000 Animals

VetStem Biopharma is proud to announce that its regenerative stem cell therapy has been used on more than 13,000 animals in the United States and Canada.

2017-07-25 --

The leading Regenerative Veterinary Medicine Company, VetStem Biopharma, is proud to announce that its regenerative stem cell therapy has been used on more than 13,000 animals. VetStem was founded in 2002, seeking to discover a successful treatment for horses with potentially fatal injuries to tendons and ligaments.

In 2003 VetStem signed a worldwide exclusive license for adipose-derived (fat derived) stem cell technology for veterinary applications, and the first horse was treated in September 2003. In mid 2005, the first dogs were treated with VetStem Regenerative Cell Therapy. VetStem started providing stem cell banking to their clients early in their history so that cells could be stored for future use. By August of 2005 500 horses had been treated. VetStem had effectively introduced a new, natural, injectable treatment to the equine and small animal veterinary industry that could serve as an alternative to euthanasia for some conditions.

Although the large majority of animals treated have been horses and dogs like Knuckles and Crockett, VetStem has provided services for exotic species as well. The U.S. Navy, Office of Naval Research, awarded VetStem a contract to engage in a collaborative study of stem cell biology in marine mammals in 2009. From this, the first peer-reviewed article was published showing successful isolation of stem cells from dolphin fat. VetStem has also worked with Zoos and Aquariums across the United States to help them treat their residents. Several media outlets featured a story on a panther from the Tallahassee Museum who received stem cell services through VetStem for arthritis of the elbow in 2011. After the therapy he was able to stand up and scratch on his favorite tree with both front paws. We work diligently with each of the agencies to help provide the best care possible.

VetStem continues to strive to bring the best Regenerative Medicine therapies to the market to help provide a better quality of life for animals. Dr. Robert Harman, CEO and Founder of VetStem has spoken at many human and veterinary conferences sharing the results of real treatments. He has also authored or co-authored numerous peer-reviewed papers on stem cells as well as written book chapters on stem cells.

VetStem also had a landmark peer-reviewed manuscript on stem cell therapy of canine osteoarthritis published. The placebo-controlled study of allogeneic adipose stem cell therapy in dogs with clinical arthritis is the largest study of its kind to date in the veterinary literature. The final study report was submitted to the FDA and the peer-reviewed manuscript was published in the September 16, 2016 issue of Frontiers in Veterinary Science – Veterinary Regenerative Medicine. Titled “A Prospective, Randomized, Masked, and Placebo-Controlled Efficacy Study of Intraarticular Allogeneic Adipose Stem Cells for the Treatment of Osteoarthritis in Dogs,” this study evaluated VetStem’s novel allogeneic stem cell product in client-owned dogs in a formal FDA study. The nine independent investigators in this study are leaders in surgery and pain management and are co-authors on the peer-reviewed publication.

VetStem recently announced initiation of a pivotal field effectiveness and safety study to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of its investigational allogeneic adipose stem cell product. The randomized and blinded placebo-controlled, multi-center study in dogs with clinical osteoarthritis is expected to be completed and submitted to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2017. The study is being conducted under an FDA-concurred protocol and is supported by VetStem’s US commercial licensee, Aratana Therapeutics. This pivotal field efficacy study will enroll more than 200 dogs at 17 US veterinary clinics.

“I started VetStem 15 years ago because I could see that Regenerative Medicine was the future and could change the way we practiced. Now, 15 years later VetStem is still leading the way with new approaches to make it easier to treat animals with this cutting edge technology that harnesses our cells own ability to heal” Dr. Robert Harman, CEO and Founder of VetStem.