By Chris Wack
Athersys Inc. shares were up 6% to 29 cents after the company reported positive results of a radiation countermeasure study conducted by the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute that showed intravenous MultiStem invimestrocel administration provided benefit in an animal model of acute radiation syndrome.
The company said the results demonstrate that the administration of MultiStem cells increased survival in treated animals, resulting in higher body weights in surviving animals and positive trends in recovery of the hematopoietic system.
In the study, 25 mice received two doses of MultiStem cells and 25 received two doses of vehicle, administered intravenously. Survival was evaluated at day 30 from irradiation, with 84% survival of MultiStem-treated rodents compared to 52% survival of vehicle-treated animals. Body weight was significantly higher in the MultiStem group.
Write to Chris Wack at chris.wack@wsj.com
