• First-ever veterinary stem cell medicine recommended for EU marketing authorisation
• Arti-Cell Forte provides a unique ready-to-use solution for the treatment of equine lameness
• Boehringer Ingelheim again demonstrates its commitment to continuous innovation

Ingelheim, Germany, 11 December 2018 – The Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Business Unit and Global Stem Cell Technology (GST) entered into a partnership to enable European veterinarians and horse owners to benefit from groundbreaking innovation. Following marketing authorisation, Boehringer Ingelheim will exclusively distribute Arti-Cell Forte in the EU. Arti-Cell Forte has been developed by GST and is the first-ever stem cell product in the veterinary world¹ which was recommended marketing authorisation by the European Medicines Agency (EMA)¹ earlier this year.
Arti-Cell Forte is a product candidate of the so-called novel therapies. It is based on horse-blood-derived stem cells, which are specially primed. The intended indication is the reduction of mild to moderate recurrent lameness associated with non-septic joint inflammation in horses. For convenience, the product shall be offered in a ready-to-use presentation, available to the veterinarian whenever it is needed.
Lameness is a common disease in horses and impacts their performance as well as welfare. Current treatment is not satisfactory for all cases and there is a clear need for innovation and new treatment options. Hence, the significant interest in treatment beyond symptoms, namely combatting the underlying root cause.
Following injection into the affected joint, Arti-Cell Forte is ready to act via its living cells, addressing biomolecular events of cartilage and reducing the inflammatory process of lameness. Based on a field study, the positive effect of treatment with Arti-Cell Forte even sustained for more than a year¹.
“Priming the cells towards cartilage aids them to deliver the right activities in the affected joint,” shares Jan Spaas PhD, Veterinarian and CEO of GST. “We are absolutely delighted with this partnership as well as EMA´s positive opinion – the potential for the treatment is vast, since a quarter of the entire equine population develops osteoarthritis at some point in their life.”
“Boehringer Ingelheim is dedicated to providing new and innovative products, whether through our own R&D activities or by working in partnership with true experts in the field,” says Dr. Erich Schoett, Head of Strategic Business Unit Equine at Boehringer Ingelheim. “GST impressed us with a wealth of expertise in the area of regenerative medicine and we do see an immense synergy in the close collaboration we are having. It is a real privilege to launch an industry first of this magnitude and we are working together closely to bringing this product to market.”