Chronic Pain Specialist Speaks At Panel On Stem Cell-Based Therapies And The Need For Spinal Care Reform – Insights From The Discussion

Chronic back pain is a significant issue in the United States, affecting millions of individuals annually. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, approximately 80% of adults will experience back pain at some point. BioRestorative Therapies Inc. BRTX (“BioRestorative”) recently held a virtual panel about their stem cell-based therapies and one of the first things that Dr. Jason Lipetz, an expert panelist, shared was that the current state of treatment for chronic back pain “is an embarrassment for the world of spine care.”

Dr. Lipetz went on to say that, unlike the common assumption that most back pain comes from pinched nerves or even conditions like sciatica, the most common reason for chronic back pain is a painful degenerative disc in your spine. Back pain can exist alone without nerve involvement and oftentimes, this is the most painful type of chronic pain. Additionally, spinal discs naturally degenerate with age, and as such, so many people experience chronic back pain for no reason other than aging.

20% of individuals who experience chronic back pain will experience this pain for more than three months. This chronic pain can have a significant impact on an individual's quality of life, leading to reduced mobility, difficulty performing daily tasks and increased risk of depression and anxiety. The economic impact of chronic back pain is also significant, with billions of dollars spent every year on medical treatments, lost productivity and disability payments. According to a report from the National Library of Medicine, an estimated $200 billion are spent annually on the management of back pain. 

Dr. Liptez also shared that in the United States, the number of people with chronic pain will surpass the frequency of cardiac disease. To date, treatments have been mediocre at best and poor at worse. There truly isn’t a good solution available to people in pain right now.

BioRestorative a clinical-stage company specializing in stem cell-based therapies, is hoping to provide better treatment options for millions of Americans who are struggling without an effective treatment plan. BioRestorative’s leading product and novel drug BRTX-100 is an autologous stem cell product that uses the patient’s own stem cells, which are harvested, cultured, and then injected directly into the patient’s body. BRTX-100 is a non-invasive treatment – the procedure is a single intra-discal injection that takes approximately 20 minutes. This product is currently entering phase II of clinical trials. 

BRTX-100 is a promising treatment for chronic back pain, as there are limited safety risks, and human data from similar studies show promising results with reduced pain and increased function. And while there is no treatment that will cure all patients, BioRestorative’s biological therapy has the potential to be most successful. 

Other companies competing in the chronic pain treatment space include Mesoblast MESO, Pfizer PFE and Abbott Laboratories ABT.

To learn more about BioRestorative, visit its website. 

Featured photo by De an Sun on Unsplash.

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