Treating Cardiac Disease with Adult Stem Cells

Matthew Feshbach, Chairman & CEO, and Joseph Feshbach conceived Okyanos Heart Institute as a result of collectively spending several thousand hours investigating stem cell research, technology for extracting stem cells and clinical application of stem cells for cardiac disease.  Specifically, while attending a stem cell research meeting (Cell Society in La Jolla, CA in February, 2011), they saw the potential to effectively treat no-option Coronary Artery Disease with stem cells derived from adipose (fat) tissue, as a result of the reported 18-month results from the PRECISE trial.

Further, they observed a time gap–in favor of European citizens–between European Union (EU) approvals and FDA approvals of innovative medical technologies for as much as 10 years. Given the huge unmet need of patients with no-option Coronary Artery Disease, Matt and Joe saw the opportunity to provide an EU-approved cell therapy technology to help those patients have a better life. Thus, they set about researching and developing a plan to deliver cardiac stem cell therapy, based on the technology used in the PRECISE trial to those in need.

The core elements to the plan were:

• Locate in a convenient English speaking country that recognizes EU standards
• Provide the treatment in a Center of Excellence with state-of-the-art equipment
• Chief Medical Officer with an excellent record of:
  • Safety
  • Outcomes
  • Personalized care factor for patients.

Sadly and ironically, shortly after the founding of Okyanos Heart Institute, Joe  unexpectedly passed away as a result of sudden cardiac arrest. We honor Joseph Feshbach by forwarding his purpose to “mend broken hearts” and improve the lives of people in heart failure.