Magellan Stem Cell researchers have been honoured with a Research Publication of the Year Award by a prestigious international medical journal.
The Melbourne-based researchers won the Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Open Clinical Research Publication of the Year Award for the excellence of their original research.
The results of Magellan's Phase I/IIa trials of Magellan's off-the-shelf osteoarthritis donor treatment MAG200 were published in Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Open.
The Editor in Chief of Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Open, Professor Henning Madry said the Magellan team's win was a "unanimous decision by the jury".
The award was handed by Professor Madry to Magellan's Chief Medical Officer, Associate Professor Julien Freitag at a ceremony hosted by the OsteoArthritis Research Society International (OARSI) in Seoul, South Korea.
The OARSI Publication of the Year Awards are designed to promote excellence in clinical research within the field of osteoarthritis published in the Society's journals, Osteoarthritis and Cartilage and Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Open.
Magellan's Chief Medical Officer Associate Professor Julien Freitag said the award followed more than a decade of intense research by the Magellan team.
"I congratulate every team member for their dedication and involvement in the study.
"I am exceptionally proud of what we have been able to achieve and this award is recognition of everyone's dedication and commitment.
"Magellan's proprietary donor stem cell therapy represents an exciting advancement in the active management of osteoarthritis which is a recognised condition of unmet clinical need.
"Magellan's research suggests that our proprietary stem cell therapy may significantly reduce the global socioeconomic burden of osteoarthritis with potential to delay and/or prevent the need for total joint replacement surgery.
"I look forward to commencing the next stage of our research as we progress towards Magellan's Phase III trial," Associate Professor Freitag said.
Following publication of the results of the Phase I/II trials, the Australian Government announced a $7 million grant through the Medical Research Future Fund for the upcoming Phase III trial.
