Mesoblast to aquire further stem cell assets Stem cell group Mesoblast is to outlay up to $US100 million on a US acquisition as it ramps up its product development pipeline and broadens its suite of patents. It is to acquire the stem cell assets of Osiris Therapeutic for an initial $US20 million, although the final price could reach $US100 million depending on progress in developing the acquired products, with provision for future royalty payments as well. Like Mesoblast, Osiris has been developing therapeutic products that use so-called mesenchymal stem cells which can help body tissue heal large wounds, repair cartilage and muscle tissue. Osiris has been producing these stem cells in the US since 1999, and also has a joint venture in Japan. The US company's product is already approved for use in selected bone marrow cases involving children in the US, Canada and New Zealand. The purchase gives Mesoblast access to two products in phase 3 trials - a treatment for Crohn's disease and for selected bone marrow cases involving adults as well, it said. The acquisition consolidates Mesoblast's position in the regenerative therapies sector, while providing additional growth options, Mesoblast chief executive, Professor Silviu Itescu said. The acquisition brings with it approved products in several countries and will ""more than double our portfolio of granted patent families encompassing all mesenchymal lineage stem cells"," he said. Approved or late-phase products acquired by Mesoblast from Osiris will bring forward Mesoblast's projected revenues and provide earlier launch opportunities for its products, he said. As a result, we plan to have concurrent products in active Phase 3 clinical trials in 2014 in all four major therapeutic areas of our focus: cardiovascular medicine (congestive heart failure), inflammatory/immune diseases (including Crohn's disease), orthopaedics (spinal fusion and intervertebral disc repair), and oncology (acute Graft versus Host Disease treatment and cord blood expansion in bone marrow transplantation). The purchase includes 110 patents globally, including: 48 in the United States, 21 in Europe and 9 in Japan which extend to 2025, with additional patent applications which could extend patent protection to 2031. A year ago, Osiris regained full control of its prochymal stem cell technology, after terminating a venture with Genzyme. Subsequently. Osiris said it was looking for the best group to partner with to further develop the technology.