Update 3 to 4 years to go (now 5 months)

[iBhavinghairnow]

At the end of 2004 I posted a message saying that an answer may be available in three to four years.

 

Three years have not yet passed but I read on the Intercytex website that they have been awarded 1.85 pounds (about 3 to 4 million bucks) by the UK Department of Trade and Industry for an automated manufacturing process for ICX-TRC (their HM process). I will paste the text below.

 

Also, their Phase II trials should be complete by mid year of 2007 (within 5 months). The Phase II trials should tell us if the process works (clinical efficacy).

 

My HT has worked out well and because of Propecia I don't think I will need another HT before I know if the Intercytex treatment works. ( The next 5 months will be intresting).

 

 

From their WebSite:

 

 

"Cambridge, UK, 6th October 2006 ??“ Intercytex (LSE: ICX) and its partner, The Automation Partnership (TAP), announce today that they have been awarded a ??1.85 million grant by the UK Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) through the Technology Programme to develop an automated manufacturing process for ICX-TRC, Intercytex' novel hair regeneration therapy. Intercytex is a leading cell therapy company developing products to restore and regenerate skin and hair and The Automation Partnership is a private company specialising in the automation of life science processes.

 

The grant will be used primarily to develop a dedicated robotic system to support the commercial-scale production of dermal papilla (DP) cells, the main cells involved in hair regeneration and the key component of ICX-TRC.

 

The Intercytex approach to hair regeneration centres on extracting an individual's DP cells from a small hair follicle biopsy at the back of the head, multiplying the cells in a proprietary aseptic culture system and then re-implanting the cells back in the head to induce new hairs. It is vital that each patient's cells remain isolated throughout the multiplication process.

 

The robotic system developed by TAP has an established track record in processing many different cell samples simultaneously in the context of high throughput drug screening, where TAP systems are employed by many of the world's top pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. The DTI grant will be used to adapt this proven technology to produce autologous (i.e. sourced from and returned to the same individual) human cells in a reliable, efficient way and at a scale that can handle a large number of people.

 

Nick Higgins, Chief Executive Officer of Intercytex said: "We are delighted that the DTI has granted us this substantial funding. The large-scale production of ICX-TRC will be key to its commercial success and this collaboration will support our scale-up work. ICX-TRC is currently in Phase II clinical testing and this project should ensure we are in a position to produce cells to treat large numbers of people, both in our later stage clinical trials and when ICX-TRC is launched."

 

Welcoming the new partnership, Science and Innovation Minister, Lord Sainsbury said: "This initiative provides a real opportunity to harness the world class expertise that we possess in the UK and direct it towards the task of wealth creation. Biotechnology is of crucial importance in our society. By providing a focus for collaboration and delivery, this partnership should establish British industry as the world leader in this area and an attractive proposition for investors."

 

Intercytex and TAP have been awarded ??1.85 million out of a total ??12.6 million grant funding available from DTI and the Research Councils for collaboration in Regenerative Medicine Technologies as part of the Technology Programme's Autumn 2005 Competition for Funding. This competition invited proposals for innovative collaborative projects developing technology for regenerative medicine applications involving both science and business.

 

Dr Andy Morffew, Chief Executive of The Automation Partnership, added: "We are delighted to be working with Intercytex ??“ doing what TAP does best - automating complex biological processes and simplifying a critical step in the ICX-TRC treatment procedure."

[NervousNelly]

This is some pretty exciting stuff. The British government is putting some faith in Intercytex because there is a lot of promise that this could be a reality in the next couple of years. They estimate that if everything goes according to plan it could be worth billions in revenue. Whenever you are talking those sort of dollars you know that they are pressing hard. This could be good news for us one day.

[Guest youngguy24]

I've ready about the phase 1 testing (for safety). Durning the testing time 5 out 7 men regrew some hair! Why have there been no pictures? Does anyone know where we can get access to these pictures? Not only would I like my hair back but this could be a great investment.

[iBhavinghairnow]

Although it is positive that the 5 out of 7 grew hair in the Phase I trials, I don't think that conclusions can be made. It's too small of a sample size.

 

In Phase II they change variables for different distinct groups that comprise the Phase II sample.

 

I would think that for HM the variables that they would alter for the different groups would be around variations in:

 

1.) The HM growth factor

2.) Number of cells grown and how many cells injected back in the patient's head

3.) The variety of cells harvested from the patient and multiplied

4.) The different insertion techniques used

5.) Other

 

The company would then examine the distinct patient groups within the study and determine what variables were used for the most successful group. Phase III is used to test the winning combination on a large population size.

 

As a result, I would think that Phase II should result in the answer to how well this thing is going to work. In other words, the most successful distinct group with in the study had x result.

[Guest youngguy24]

If phase II shows the treatment to be very effective how long should phase III testing take? Once phase III is complete how long until this is available to the public? Who would do these procedures, HT doctors or any dermatologist?