A multi-synergistic therapy

Progenza™ is a cellular therapy targeting pain and inflammation which uses Secretome to improve not only the resident tissue, but the Mesenchymal Signalling Cells (MSCs) themselves. Using the Secretome with the MSCs provides a platform to enhance the MSCs’ potency and efficacy as a cryopreserved injectable.

Regeneus has patented techniques and high-quality testing to ensure the production of millions of Progenza™ doses from a single donor (allogeneic).

Point of Difference

Progenza™ fills a gap in the current treatment market for osteoarthritis by providing disease modification and pain relief to address patient symptoms – before more drastic treatments such as surgery, are required.

Currently, there are no treatments for osteoarthritis when it comes to disease modification. While there are many options for pain relief for osteoarthritis – including opioid drugs – they only treat the symptoms, not the cause of pain. Many pain relief treatments are also associated with addiction and dependence.

View the Phase I Trial Results for Progenza™

Mechanism of Action

MSCs are immune evasive, meaning they lack immune system identifiers. This allows them to enter a patient’s body and immune system relatively undetected.

When MSCs enter the inflamed environment within a patient’s body, they are activated and alter the phenotype of inflammatory immune cells. This switches the cells into anti-inflammatory, thereby addressing inflammation at its source.

Once at the site of injury, Progenza™ interacts with inflammatory immune cells and downregulates pain-causing signals. Progenza™ also acts to repair local damaged tissue, such as cartilage tissue commonly found in joints like knees and elbows.

Cells secreting Cytokines

Research & Scientific Publications

A selected list of scientific publications related to Progenza™ and Mesenchymal Signalling Cells (MSC) and their Secretome.

Amable PR, Teixeira MVT, Carias RBV, Granjeiro JM, Borojevic R.
Stem Cell Res Ther. BioMed Central; 2014;5: 53. doi:10.1186/scrt442

Dominici M, Le Blanc K, Mueller I, Slaper-Cortenbach I, Marini F, Krause D, et al.
The International Society for Cellular Therapy position statement. Cytotherapy. 2006;8: 315–317. doi:10.1080/14653240600855905

Jimenez-Puerta GJ, Marchal JA, López-Ruiz E, Gálvez-Martín P.
J Clin Med. MDPI AG; 2020;9: 445. doi:10.3390/jcm9020445

Castro-Manrreza ME, Montesinos JJ.
doi:10.1155/2015/394917

Maumus M, Manferdini C, Toupet K, Peyrafitte JA, Ferreira R, Facchini A, et al.
Stem Cell Res. Elsevier B.V.; 2013;11: 834–844. doi:10.1016/j.scr.2013.05.008

Haddad R, Saldanha-Araujo F.
BioMed Research International. 2014. doi:10.1155/2014/216806

Zhong J, Chen C, Yue X, Lei G-H, Li Y-S, Zhu LW, et al.
Front Immunol. 2017;8. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2017.00356

van Buul GM, Villafuertes E, Bos PK, Waarsing JH, Kops N, Narcisi R, et al.
Osteoarthr Cartil. W.B. Saunders; 2012;20: 1186–1196. doi:10.1016/J.JOCA.2012.06.003

Kyurkchiev D.
World J Stem Cells. 2014;6: 552. doi:10.4252/wjsc.v6.i5.552

Kuah D, Sivell S, Longworth T, James K, Guermazi A, Cicuttini F, et al.
J Transl Med. BioMed Central; 2018;16: 1–13. doi:10.1186/s12967-018-1420-z

Tavassoli H, Alhosseini SN, Tay A, Chan PPY, Kah S, Oh W, et al.
Biomaterials. 2018;181: 333–346. doi:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2018.07.016

Watanabe, S., Uchida, K., Nakajima, H., Matsuo, H., Sugita, D., Yoshida, A., . . . Baba, H. (2015).
STEM CELLS, 33(6), 1902-1914. doi:10.1002/stem.2006

Zhang, E. J., Song, C. H., Ko, Y. K., & Lee, W. H. (2014).
Korean J Pain, 27(3), 239-245. doi:10.3344/kjp.2014.27.3.23

Progenza™ in Action

Progenza™ has completed Phase I clinical studies for knee osteoarthritis, and is in pre-clinical stage for neuropathic pain. Regeneus is currently seeking collaborative partnership opportunities to commence Phase I trial of Progenza™ in neuropathic pain.

Osteoarthritis (OA)

Osteoarthritis is often referred to the ‘wear and tear’ around the tissue of joints and is characterised by pain and inflammation.

As MSCs are particularly important in diseases like osteoarthritis as they can repair damaged tissue by activating stem cells within the tissue and replacing damaged cells.

A Phase I study of Progenza™ in OA patients (KL Grade 1-3) demonstrated significant treatment-related reductions in pain for up to 12 months, as well as stabilisation of cartilage volume in the target dose group.

Neuropathic Pain

Neuropathic pain is a pain condition generally caused by chronic, progressive nerve disease. A patient with neuropathic pain can experience pain unrelated to an event or injury – the body just sends pain signals to the brain unprompted.

Progenza™ may have potential in addressing neuropathic pain. Pre-clinical studies have shown that a single injection of Progenza™ resulted in the complete reversal of symptoms of allodynia, a condition in which pain occurs from what is normally non-painful stimulation of the skin, such as light touch.

See our Product Pipeline