07/10/2026  |   Andrea Lobo   |  Parkinson's News Today

https://parkinsonsnewstoday.com/news/trial-fast-tracked-new-parkinsons-cell-therapy-hits-critical-step/ 

2 groups get commercial 'thaw-and-inject' formulation of sasineprocel

Aspen Neuroscience has completed dosing in the third and fourth groups of people with Parkinson’s disease receiving its new commercial-ready formulation of the cell therapy sasineprocel (ANPD001) in a small U.S. clinical trial.

This brings the total number of adults with Parkinson’s who received sasineprocel in the ASPIRO trial (NCT06344026) to 15. The Phase 1/2a study, conducted at nine sites across the country, is testing the safety and tolerability of the autologous cell therapy — one that uses a patient’s own cells — for up to five years.

The treatment’s commercial formulation uses what its developer calls cryopreserved “thaw-and-inject” cells that can be administered upon arrival at the clinical site. It was developed to facilitate therapy production and clinical delivery.

“We are proud to reach this important milestone, which reflects meaningful progress in the sasineprocel program and underscores the growing clinical experience with our personalized, autologous approach,” Damien McDevitt, PhD, Aspen’s president and CEO, said in a company press release. “Importantly, the use of our commercial formulation in these [patient groups] represents a critical step toward scalable manufacturing and commercial readiness as we prepare for Phase 3 initiation.”

Sasineprocel is an autologous cell therapy, meaning an individual’s own cells are the basis for the treatment, that aims to replace dopaminergic neurons, the nerve cells lost in Parkinson’s…

07/09/2026  |  Estado de Minas

https://www.em.com.br/bem-viver/2026/07/amp/7458042-estudo-com-23-mil-pacientes-traz-evidencias-sobre-o-controle-do-diabetes.html 

Published in an international journal, Hapvida’s study evaluates the results of the Viver Bem program and highlights improvements in clinical and laboratory indicators

A study published in the international scientific journal BMC Endocrine Disorders on May 27 reveals that patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) enrolled in the Viver Bem program—a structured diabetes care initiative adopted by Hapvida—showed significant improvements in clinical and laboratory indicators.

Factors such as glycated hemoglobin, blood pressure, weight, and lipid profile were monitored in 23,516 enrolled patients over approximately 20 months, between 2017 and 2023.

In addition to improvements in these indicators, lower operational costs related to emergency room visits, tests, and treatments were recorded compared to eligible patients who were not included in the program.
The study, conducted by the Hapvida Clinical Research Center in partnership with the Federal University of São Paulo and Nove de Julho University, is one of the largest real-world studies on diabetes management ever conducted in Brazil within a supplemental health care system.

“Follow-up of patients included in the program shows that structured chronic care delivers real clinical benefits. Furthermore, a rational strategy for resource allocation can help make health plans more sustainable and accessible. Programs like this demonstrate that providing good care costs less,” says Rodrigo Sardenberg, director of clinical research at Hapvida.

Continuous Monitoring

The Viver Bem Program…

07/10/2026  |  Paloma Oliveto  |  Correio Brasiliense

https://www.correiobraziliense.com.br/ciencia-e-saude/2026/07/7458373-estudo-testa-transplante-de-celulas-como-tratamento-para-parkinson.html 

In a preliminary study involving eight patients, scientists demonstrated the safety of the procedure, which uses embryonic tissue reprogrammed to become neurons. There is still a long way to go before clinical application, but the authors are optimistic

For decades, the treatment of Parkinson’s disease has focused on alleviating the symptoms caused by the progressive loss of neurons that produce dopamine, which is currently achieved through the use of medications. Now, a human study points to a new therapeutic approach: replacing destroyed brain cells with new structures of embryonic origin, genetically programmed to naturally produce the neurotransmitter.

In Parkinson’s disease, the brain loses nerve cells that produce dopamine, leading to symptoms such as slowness of movement, rigidity, gait disturbances, and tremors. Although the most modern medications have revolutionized the treatment of the disease, improving patients’ quality of life, over time these substances often become less effective and can cause neurological, gastrointestinal, and psychiatric side effects, among others.

To address these limitations, researchers from England, Sweden, and the United States tested the safety of transplanting dopamine-producing neurons derived from embryonic stem cells into the brain. As this is still a preliminary study, the research—published in the journal *Nature Medicine* and presented yesterday at the annual meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research in Montreal, Canada—was conducted with only eight…

07/09/2026  |  Júlia Moreira/Tribuna do Paraná  |  Gazeta do Povo

https://www.gazetadopovo.com.br/parana/parana-lidera-aplicacoes-de-polilaminina/ 

Paraná ranks first in Brazil in the number of polylaminine treatments. As of the end of June, the state had performed 19 procedures using the experimental drug for the treatment of spinal cord injuries, according to data from Laboratório Cristália. This total surpasses the figures for Rio de Janeiro, with 11 applications, and Espírito Santo, with nine. In all, 19 states have already performed at least one application of the substance.

The treatment, which has shown promising results in the recovery of patients with spinal cord injuries, was administered for the first time in Paraná on January 8 of this year at Santa Casa de Maringá. In Curitiba, the first administration took place on March 3, 2026, at Hospital do Trabalhador.

Still in the experimental phase, the drug is used in ongoing clinical trials and also for compassionate use. The Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (Anvisa) grants authorization for this type of use through an administrative process, but the decision to donate the drug rests with the pharmaceutical company.

Polylaminin administration requires precision in the lesion area
The procedure involves a puncture directly into the affected area. “In layman’s terms, it’s an injection, but technically speaking, it’s a spinal puncture. We go to the patient, study the location of the injury beforehand, and need to be literally surgical. It’s an area of approximately one square centimeter,” explained neurosurgeon João Elias Ferreira El Sarraf, who lives in Paraná and is one of four doctors responsible for administering polylaminin…

07/09/2026  |  Ahmed Obeidat/Isabella Ciccone  |  Neurology Live

https://www.neurologylive.com/view/rethinking-clinical-trial-design-immune-system-ms-ahmed-obeidat 

At CMSC 2026, the associate professor of neurology at the Medical College of Wisconsin discussed the need to reconsider clinical trial paradigms by recognizing the role of immune cells 

"I want to challenge the concept that the immune system is our enemy in this disease. I want to think of it as maybe as our friend who's just a little bit misbehaving, and we need to put it back in check. We want to redirect the immune system."
Reimagining clinical trial design in multiple sclerosis (MS) has become increasingly important as limitations of traditional efficacy measures, such as relapse rates and MRI lesion activity, have come into sharper focus. Emerging evidence suggests that neurodegeneration and disease progression may continue despite apparent control of inflammatory activity, underscoring the need for end points and therapeutic strategies that prioritize preservation of brain tissue and long-term neurologic function. As understanding of the immunopathology of MS evolves, researchers are reconsidering the role of immune cells not only as drivers of injury, but also as potential mediators of repair and neuroprotection.

At the recently concluded 2026 Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) Annual Meeting, held May 27-29, Charlotte, North Carolina, MS specialist Ahmed Obeidat, MD, PhD, associate professor of neurology at the Medical College of Wisconsin, presented a session titled “Changing the Rules: Reimagining Clinical Trials in Multiple Sclerosis.” In this talk, he explored how conventional paradigms that focus predominantly on immune suppression and inflammatory activity may…