Cellular Biomedicine Group, Inc., a biomedicine firm engaged in the development of new treatments for degenerative and cancerous diseases, has received approval to conduct a phase IIb clinical trial for ReJoin, a human adipose-derived mesenchymal precursor cells (haMPC) therapy bio-engineered for Knee Osteoarthritis (KOA). The trial tests the safety and efficacy of intra-articular injections of autologous (patient's own) ReJoin formula in order to reduce inflammation and repair damaged joint cartilage.

"The approval of our phase IIb clinical trial design is a major milestone for Cellular Biomedicine Group,” said Dr William Cao, CEO of Cellular Biomedicine Group. “We are pleased to receive such expeditious validation from Renji Hospital and its regulatory offices of our phase I/IIa data package, which showed a high safety profile and positive results reflected by the osteoarthritis indices and pain indices.”

In addition to Shanghai’s Renji Hospital, a tertiary hospital affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, there will be several more leading hospitals joining this multicenter double-blind Phase IIb clinical trial. Enrollment of patients into the Phase IIb study is expected to begin during Q4, 2013.

Cellular Biomedicine Group, Inc. develops proprietary cell therapies for the treatment of certain degenerative diseases and cancers.