Focused on a condition called Stargardt's Disease, this clinical trial would dovetail nicely with another that we are preparing for, using the same proprietary technology platform, for Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD). Dry AMD afflicts more than thirty million patients in the U.S. and Europe alone, and despite representing a $25-30 billion potential market, remains a critical unmet medical need with no approved and effective therapy.. We hope to file an Investigational New Drug Application (IND) with the FDA for this program shortly after our program for Stargardt's Disease is approved.
Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are the body's master cells, capable of becoming any cell in the human body. Regenerative Medicine aims to harness these cells, and has the potential to revolutionize medicine, potentially proving cures for a variety of debilitating diseases and conditions, including Macular Degeneration, Heart Disease, Parkinson's Disease, Diabetes, spinal cord injuries, and many more, and saving hundreds of billions of dollars in healthcare expenditures. Over the last decade the field has been plagued with hype from some quarters as well as political setbacks. However, stem cell research is about to "get real," with ACTC as a lead player.
