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INTERVIEW WITH
GEORGE HAMILTON AND GEOFF GREEN Aging, Longevity and Stem Cell Therapy By Ann Lally GEORGE HAMILTON: Question: You have always been a very active person. What are some of the ways you maintain a healthy lifestyle? My grandfather was a town doctor an I accompanied him on his rounds. He was a big influence. The pursuit of health, in the holistic sense meaning body, mind and soul, has always been my primary quest. I have always been vigilant about what I eat and maintaining a balanced and healthy diet. I believe you must be selective, not just about what you put into your body, but also with your thoughts and emotions. You have to be positive and open, but also realistic. I try to exercise daily, especially as I get older, but I find it more difficult because of the injuries I’ve sustained throughout my career. These injuries have continued to bother me, so I am always on the lookout for alternatives to help with the inflammation and that promote healing. Q: What modalities have you explored to help with healing your inflammation? I was treated with stem cells at an early age for hearing loss, and I was amazed at how I recovered my hearing. Ever since that experience, I have continued to research and learn about cell therapies and the potential they may have to rejuvenate and repair the body. You have to prepare the body for these therapies with a receptive frame of mind, which will enable the body to better receive the therapeutic benefit. I have seen how much the field of stem cell research has grown. I am hopeful that products from companies like Longeveron will become commercially available in the United States in the foreseeable future so people will be able to access and benefit from this promising medical field. === GEOFF GREEN: Question: We hear that one of the very promising stem cell therapy technologies comes from Longeveron, a Miami-based biotechnology company Longeveron. Could you tell us a bit about the company? Longeveron is a clinical stage biotechnology company and we are developing cellular therapies for aging-related and life-threatening conditions. The belief is that as we age, our repair mechanisms become less effective, leading to chronic disease and poor health. At Longeveron, we have been working to develop biological solutions for aging and aging-related diseases such as aging/frailty as well as cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. Longeveron’s lead investigational product, Lomecel-B™, is produced using our company’s proprietary Longeveron Allogeneic Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells (LMSCs). LMSCs, which are stem cells produced from young, healthy human adult donor bone marrow, and are multipotent regenerative and restorative cells that may help to modulate the immune system. Also, Longeveron manufactures its stem cells in its cGMP-compliant facility in Miami, Florida. 42
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(Please note: cGMP refers to the Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulations enforced by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Question: Is your product being tested in clinical trials and are there any results you can share? Longeveron is currently conducting FDA-supervised clinical trials using Lomecel-B to treat Aging Frailty, and has five (5) clinical trials in the United States (clinicaltrials.gov), including for Alzheimer’s Disease and Aging Frailty. While Longeveron is currently conducting larger scale trials to evaluate the effects of the cell therapy, the results of the preliminary studies have been published in peer-reviewed medical journals. Patients in those early studies showed improved physical performance, strength and mobility, increased walking distance, improved cognition, increased Sexual Quality of Life (females), and decreased inflammatory markers in the blood. Question: Can people who don’t qualify for Longeveron’s clinical trials get access to its stem cell therapy? Yes, Longerveron sponsors a registry in The Bahamas under the approval and authority of the National Stem Cell Ethics Committee. The Bahamas Registry Trial administers Lomecel-B to eligible participants at two private clinics in Nassau for a variety of indications. While Lomecel-B is considered an investigational product in The Bahamas, under the approval terms from the National Stem Cell Ethics Committee, Longeveron is permitted to charge a fee to participate in the Registry Trial. Question: Do all stem cell companies test their products in clinical trials in the United States? No, the majority of stem cell products do not go through rigorous, US FDA clinical trials. This is why Longeveron is very unique. Everyone treated with Lomecel-B is enrolled in a trial or registry so all patient data is collected and reported to the appropriate regulatory agency. In addition, Longeveron has received grants from the National Institute of Aging, the Alzheimer’s Association and TEDCO, to conduct clinical trials. All of our data are published in peer reviewed journals to maintain the highest level of scientific rigor. Question: If I wanted to get more information about Longeveron and its trials and registries, where would I find this information? For information about Longeveron and the trials we offer, visit our website www.longeveron. com. Should you wish to speak with someone regarding trials, please contact Jessica Protenic, who will be happy to answer any questions. You can reach Jessica at jprotenic@longeveron.com.
