(TheNewswire)
Sernova Expands Scientific Advisory BoardExpertise for its Innovative Cell Therapy Therapeutic Applications inEndocrine Disorders Including Thyroid Disease
LONDON, ONTARIO – TheNewswire - April 14, 2021 – Sernova Corp. (TSXV:SVA) (OTC:SEOVF) (FSE/XETRA:PSH), a leadingclinical-stage company developing regenerative medicine therapeutictechnologies for the long-term treatment of chronicdiseases , today announced the appointment of Dr. Sam Wiseman to its Scientific Advisory Board(SAB).
“We are pleased to welcome Dr. Wiseman to Sernova’sScientific Advisory Board,” said Dr. Philip Toleikis, President& CEO Sernova Corp. “Dr. Wiseman’s internationally recognizedleadership in surgical treatment of thyroid and parathyroid diseaseand his forward-thinking interest in Sernova’s development of novelcell therapy-based applications will be a great asset as we seek to expand the clinical applications of our cell pouchplatform. ”
“The importance of the thyroid gland in controllingeveryday bodily functions is often underappreciated. For people whohave their thyroid gland removed, the solution relies on lifelongdependence on medication,” said Dr. Sam Wiseman. “Sernova’s celltherapy approach aims at providing a functional cure and improving thequality of life for these patients by allowing them to reduce orpotentially eliminate daily thyroid hormone treatments. I am excitedto join Sernova’s Scientific Advisory Board and bring my expertiseto support them in the development of novel cell-based approaches fortreatment of thyroid disease and potentially other endocrinediseases.”
Dr. Sam Wiseman is an academic thyroid/parathyroidsurgeon and internationally recognized expert in the management ofthyroid and parathyroid disease. He is Professor of Surgery in theFaculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and isan attending surgeon at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver. Dr. Wiseman attendedmedical school and completed residency training in General Surgery, atthe University of Manitoba,obtaining a Fellowship inSurgery from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in2000. At Roswell Park Cancer Institute, he completed fellowships inHead & Neck Surgery, Surgical Oncology, and Oncology Research. Dr.Wiseman joined the staff at St. Paul's Hospital, and the University ofBritish Columbia in 2003. He is also a Fellow of the American Collegeof Surgeons, and a Consultant Surgical Oncologist at the BritishColumbia Cancer Agency (BCCA). He currently serves as the ResearchHead for the Department of Surgery at Providence Health Care and isthe Chair of the Endocrine Tumour Group of the BCCA. He has authored more than 150 peer-reviewed scientificpublications, numerous book chapters, and served as a senior editor ofthe medical textbook, Gray’s Surgical Anatomy. Dr. Wiseman’sresearch has been presented globally and he has received numerousawards and honours throughout his career that include a Michael SmithFoundation for Health Research Scholar Award andCanada’s Top 40 Under 40 Award. He is passionate about education andmentors and supervises many trainees, both clinically and inresearch. He is committed to providing new therapeutic options andtreatment approaches for patients suffering from thyroid/parathyroiddiseases with the ultimate goal of improving quality of life for thesepeople.
ABOUT SERNOVA’S THYROID DISEASEPROGRAM
Sernova is utilizing its Cell Pouch Platform as apotential treatment for hypothyroid disease. Our approach is totransplant a patient’s own healthy thyroid tissue followingthyroidectomy into the pre-implanted vascularized Cell Pouch topreserve the normal thyroid function and reduce or eliminate the needfor lifelong daily thyroid replacement therapy. Sernova plans toconduct clinical assessments of the Cell Pouch with transplantedthyroid tissue in patients suffering from post-surgical hypothyroidismwith the aim of preserving thyroid function and improving patientquality of life.
Thyroidectomy is commonly performed for cancerdiagnosis or treatment and for treatment of benign (non-cancerous)disease that includes goiter and hyperthyroidism. It is estimated thatabout 150,000 thyroidectomies are performed in the US yearly. Patientswith Grave’s disease and thyroid nodules undergoing totalthyroidectomy, and many patients undergoing partial thyroidectomyrequire life-long thyroid hormone medication. Post-surgical thyroidhormone replacement therapy, if monitored carefully, can be effective;however, patients often suffer from deleterious side-effects includingweight gain, depression, headaches, and cardiovascular disease, withresultant negative impact on quality of life, and significant costs tothe healthcare system. The development of new therapeutic strategiesto overcome hypothyroidism remains an important unmet medicalneed.
ABOUT SERNOVA CORP.
Sernova Corp is developing regenerative medicinetherapeutic technologies using a medical device and immune protectedtherapeutic cells (i.e. human donor cells, corrected human cells, andstem cell-derived cells) to improve the treatment and quality of lifeof people with chronic metabolic diseases such as insulin-dependentdiabetes, hypothyroidism, hemophilia, and other diseases treatedthrough replacement of proteins or hormones missing or in short supplywithin the body. For more information, please visit www.sernova.com .
For further information contact:
Dominic Gray
Sernova Corp
Tel: (519) 858-5126
FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION
This release may contain forward-looking statements.Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historicalfacts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words“expects”, “plans”, “anticipates”, “believes”,“intends”, “estimates”, “projects”, “potential” andsimilar expressions, or that events or conditions “will”,“would”, “may”, “could” or “should” occur. AlthoughSernova believes the expectations expressed in such forward-lookingstatements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements arenot guarantees of future performance, and actual results may differmaterially from those in forward-looking statements. Forward-lookingstatements are based on the beliefs, estimates, and opinions ofSernova’s management on the date such statements were made, whichinclude our beliefs about the conduct and outcome of clinical trials.Sernova expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update orrevise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of newinformation, future events or otherwise.
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