According to data released by South Korean biotechnology company Medipost in 2024, the cumulative number of patients treated by Cartistem, its knee osteoarthritis stem cell therapy, has exceeded 30000.

Cartistem is a stem cell therapy derived from allogeneic cord blood. This innovative therapy was approved by relevant departments in South Korea as early as 2012 and officially entered the application stage. It is the first knee joint stem cell drug marketed in South Korea.

It is worth mentioning that it has attracted a lot of attention in the sports world. For example, the well-known former South Korean national football team coach Gus Hiddink chose Cartistem therapy when undergoing knee surgery in 2014 and 2022 respectively. After reporting through media and other channels, the therapy became even more famous.

In terms of commercial performance, according to data provided by Medipost, since its launch, Cartistem's sales have shown a strong growth trend. As of 2023, it has steadily increased at an average annual growth rate of 36%, and annual sales have exceeded 20 billion won (approximately 100 million yuan), becoming the first product in the field of stem cell therapy in South Korea to achieve this sales result, demonstrating its strong competitiveness in the market and broad application prospects. "It is gratifying to note that Cartistem has brought hope to countless patients with knee pain over the past 10 years," said Oh Won-il, CEO of Medipost with emotion."We know that there are still a large number of knee osteoarthritis patients around the world. Suffering from pain, so we will go all out to conduct global clinical trials and strive to break through the entry barriers of various countries and regions. So that Cartistem can effectively improve the quality of life of knee osteoarthritis patients around the world outside South Korea and contribute to global medical and health undertakings."

Global distribution of the drug

Overall situation: Medipost is actively preparing for Cartistem's global clinical trial, aiming to promote this high-quality treatment to more regions around the world and benefit more patients with knee osteoarthritis. U.S. Market: Medipost has clear and efficient plans for clinical trials in the United States. The company focuses on preparing for investigational new drug (IND) applications for Phase 3 clinical trials. In view of the solid clinical data and good efficacy feedback it has accumulated in South Korea, it decided to skip the Phase 2 clinical trial phase and continue to refine and finalize specific clinical plans through multiple rounds of meetings with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It is expected to start key Phase 3 clinical trials in the United States as soon as possible and lay a solid foundation for subsequent products to enter the U.S. market.

Japanese market: The trial conducted in Japan is progressing very smoothly and has now entered Phase 3 clinical trials directly, skipping the routine Phase 1 and Phase 2. In addition, the recruitment of patients has achieved remarkable results, with more than 90% of the target patients enrolled. Currently, screening and drug delivery work is in full swing, providing strong support for the approval and marketing of the product in Japan.

Hopefully, there are currently 9 new stem cell drugs in China for the treatment of knee, joint and meniscus injuries that have received tacit approval from the State Food and Drug Administration (NMPA) for clinical trials. In particular, Sibiman's allogeneic human fat mesenchymal progenitor cell injection AlloJoin:registered has launched Phase III clinical trials. In addition, according to the public information of China Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Association, there are 7 clinical research projects filed for stem cells for the treatment of knee joint and meniscus injuries.

The market of my country's knee joint stem cells is just around the corner!