[THE INVESTOR] Korean biotech firm Biostar Stem Cell Research Institute said on Feb. 14 that no adverse effects have been found in its clinical trials of Astrostem, the world’s first intravenous stem cell drug for Alzheimer’s disease.

The firm, co-operated by Nature Cell and R-Bio, added it has filed a safety report to the US Food and Drug Administration.

Nature Cell CEO Ra Jeong-chan

The report is based on monitoring of four patients who were administered the drug twice. Their average age was 70.5. During the trials, all patients maintained normal vital sign ranges, showing no negative interactions with other prescribed drugs.

The firm plans to inject the drug intravenously 10 times to a total of 12 US patients every two weeks. Two patients have completed the injections since the trials started in July last year following an FDA approval in November 2016.

By Park Han-na (hnpark@heraldcorp.com)