Stem Cell Products Increase

The number of knowledge-based organizations has increased due to encouragement and support from the government to specialized human resources to set up such companies.

“Today, there are over 40 knowledge-based firms in the field of stem cell and regenerative medicine in the country,” said Amir Ali Hamidiyeh, secretary of the Headquarters for Development of Stem Cell Science and Technology. 

As a result of the increase in the number of companies active in the domain of stem cells in the past three years, more than 400 products are processed in Iran, indicating a multifold growth. 

“Two work groups have been formed so as to promote this branch of science as well as the country’s production capacity,” Hamidiyeh said, sepidonline.ir reported. 

So far, eight stem-cell therapy products for use in hospitals have been produced in the headquarters’ laboratories. The manufacturing licenses have been granted for a number of them, while the others are on the wait list. 

“Prior to 2014, only 25 knowledge-based companies had applied to operate in this field, of which only one was actively producing quality stem cell products,” he  pointed out. 

But since then, over 25 workgroups have been formed in cooperation with experts in the science. 

Currently, three knowledge-based companies are working in the field of treatment, and have produced seven stem-cell therapy products which will soon enter the market. 

Stem cells are cells that have the ability to divide and develop into many different cell types in the body during early life and growth. 

Stem-cell therapy is the use of stem cells to treat or prevent a disease or condition. Bone marrow transplant is the most widely used stem-cell therapy, but some therapies derived from umbilical cord blood are also in use.

Stem cells have the ability to replace damaged cells and treat disease. They could also be used to study diseases and provide a resource for testing new medical treatments.