Humacyte, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology platform company
developing universally implantable bioengineered human tissue at
commercial scale, today presented initial data from laboratory and
preclinical models demonstrating the potential to engineer a
biovascular pancreas to deliver islet cells to produce insulin in
Type 1 diabetic patients.
The data show that pancreatic islet cells
embedded in the outer matrix of an acellular vessel can create a
biovascular pancreas transplant. In preclinical models, the islets
on the surface of the biovascular pancreas sensed blood glucose and
delivered insulin to the animal subjects, in therapeutic
quantities. In addition to glucose sensing and insulin delivery,
the biovascular pancreas supported islet graft oxygenation and
vascularization, reducing islet hypoxia and cell death as compared
to control, non-vascular implants which displayed islet death and
did not correct blood glucose levels.
“These data demonstrate the potential to
engineer a biovascular pancreas based on our HAV platform
technology, that may effectively deliver islet cells that can
produce insulin for people with Type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetics
no longer make their own insulin, and currently face limited
curative treatment options including pancreas transplant, which is
a morbid procedure. Without transplantation, Type 1 diabetics are
committed to life-long insulin use,” said Jeffrey Lawson, M.D.,
Ph.D., Chief Surgical Officer of Humacyte. “Our approach to
leverage the HAV to deliver islet cells may overcome major
challenges faced by transplantation of islets, including ensuring
islets receive adequate oxygen. We’re encouraged by these data and
look forward to continuing to evaluate the HAV for therapeutic cell
transplantation.”
The data were presented June 6 by Dr. Lawson at
the American Transplant Congress 2021 Virtual Connect and will be
available on Humacyte.com.
Dr. Lawson’s Congress presentation also
highlighted cumulative HAV clinical data. To date, there have been
no instances of clinical HAV rejection observed in more than 430
evaluated patients. Remodeling of the HAV with host cells, in
samples taken from patients to date, has been consistent. Further,
the HAV has shown no evidence of stimulation of significant
adaptive immunity.
On February 17, 2021, Alpha Healthcare
Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: AHAC) (“AHAC”), a special purpose
acquisition company, and Humacyte announced the execution of a
definitive business combination agreement along with a fully
committed $175 million PIPE financing agreement.
About HumacyteHumacyte, Inc.,
is developing a disruptive biotechnology platform to deliver
universally implantable bioengineered human tissues and organs
designed to improve the lives of patients and transform the
practice of medicine. The Company develops and manufactures
acellular tissues to treat a wide range of diseases, injuries and
chronic conditions. Humacyte’s initial opportunity, a portfolio of
human acellular vessels (HAVs), is currently in late-stage clinical
trials targeting multiple vascular applications, including vascular
trauma repair, arteriovenous access for hemodialysis, and
peripheral arterial disease. Pre-clinical development is also
underway in coronary artery bypass grafts, pediatric heart surgery,
treatment of type 1 diabetes, and multiple novel cell and tissue
applications. Humacyte’s HAVs were the first product to receive the
FDA’s Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) expedited
review designation and received priority designation for the
treatment of vascular trauma by the U.S. Secretary of Defense. For
more information, visit www.Humacyte.com.
About Alpha Healthcare Acquisition
Corp.Alpha Healthcare Acquisition Corp. (ticker: AHAC) is
a special purpose acquisition company formed for the purpose of
effecting a business combination with one or more businesses in the
healthcare sector (“AHAC”). The company was founded by Mr. Rajiv
Shukla who has two decades of buyouts, investments and operations
experience in the healthcare industry. Mr. Shukla previously
served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Constellation
Alpha Capital Corp., a Nasdaq-listed special purpose
acquisition company, that merged with DermTech, Inc (ticker: DMTK)
in August 2019. On February 17, 2021, AHAC announced a
definitive agreement to merge with Humacyte, Inc. along with a
concurrent fully committed PIPE placement of $175 million of AHAC
common shares at a price of $10.00 per share.
Important Information About the Merger
and Where to Find ItA full description of the terms of the
business combination is provided in a registration statement on
Form S-4 filed with the SEC by AHAC that includes a prospectus with
respect to the Combined Company’s securities to be issued in
connection with the business combination and a proxy statement with
respect to the shareholder meeting of AHAC to vote on the business
combination. AHAC urges its investors, shareholders, and other
interested persons to read the preliminary proxy statement/
prospectus as well as other documents filed with the SEC because
these documents will contain important information about AHAC,
Humacyte and the business combination. After the registration
statement is declared effective, the definitive proxy
statement/prospectus included in the registration statement will be
mailed to shareholders of AHAC as of a record date to be
established for voting on the proposed business combination.
Shareholders will also be able to obtain a copy of the Form S-4,
including the proxy statement/prospectus, and other documents filed
with the SEC without charge, by directing a request to: Alpha
Healthcare Acquisition Corp., Attn: Secretary, 1177 Avenue of the
Americas, 5th Floor, New York, New York 10036. The
preliminary and definitive proxy statement/prospectus to be
included in the registration statement, can also be obtained,
without charge, at the SEC’s website (www.sec.gov).
Participants in the
SolicitationAHAC and Humacyte and their respective
directors and executive officers may be considered participants in
the solicitation of proxies with respect to the proposed business
combination described in this press release under the rules of the
SEC. Information about the directors and executive officers of AHAC
is set forth in AHAC’s final prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant
to Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
“Securities Act”) on September 17, 2020, and is available free of
charge at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or by directing a
request to: Alpha Healthcare Acquisition Corp., Attn: Secretary,
1177 Avenue of the Americas, 5th Floor, New York,
New York 10036. Information regarding the persons who may,
under the rules of the SEC, be deemed participants in the
solicitation of the AHAC shareholders in connection with the
proposed business combination will be set forth in the registration
statement containing the proxy statement/prospectus for the
proposed business combination. These documents can be obtained free
of charge from the sources indicated above.
Forward-Looking StatementsThis
press release contains forward-looking statements that are based on
beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available. In
some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the
following words: “may,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,”
“expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,”
“predict,” “project,” “potential,” “continue,” “ongoing” or the
negative of these terms or other comparable terminology, although
not all forward-looking statements contain these words. These
statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that may
cause actual results, levels of activity, performance or
achievements to be materially different from the information
expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Although
we believe that we have a reasonable basis for each forward-looking
statement contained in this press release, we caution you that
these statements are based on a combination of facts and factors
currently known by us and our projections of the future, about
which we cannot be certain. Forward-looking statements in this
press release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding
the initiation, timing, progress, and results of our clinical
trials; the anticipated characteristics and performance of our
HAVs, our ability to successfully complete, pre-clinical and
clinical trials for our HAVs; the anticipated benefits of our HAVs
relative to existing alternatives; the commercialization of our
HAVs and our ability to manufacture at commercial scale; the
implementation of our business model, strategic plans for our
business; the scope of protection we are able to establish and
maintain for intellectual property rights covering our HAVs and
related technology; the timing or likelihood of regulatory filings
and approvals; timing, scope, and rate of reimbursement for our
HAVs; our estimated available market opportunity; the proposed
business combination, including the timing and structure of the
business combination, the proceeds of the business combination, and
the benefits of the business combination. We cannot assure you that
the forward-looking statements in this press release will prove to
be accurate. These forward-looking statements are subject to a
number of significant risks and uncertainties that could cause
actual results to differ materially from expected results,
including, among others, the ability to complete the business
combination due to the failure to obtain approval from AHAC’s
shareholders or satisfy other closing conditions in the Business
Combination Agreement, the occurrence of any event that could give
rise to the termination of the Business Combination Agreement, the
ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the business
combination, the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be
instituted against AHAC or Humacyte following announcement of the
proposed business combination and related transactions, the impact
of COVID-19 on Humacyte’s business and/or the ability of the
parties to complete the business combination, the ability to obtain
or maintain the listing AHAC’s common stock on Nasdaq following the
proposed business combination, costs related to the proposed
business combination, changes in applicable laws or regulations,
the possibility that AHAC or Humacyte may be adversely affected by
other economic, business, and/or competitive factors, and other
risks and uncertainties, including those included under the header
“Risk Factors” in the registration statement on Form S-4 filed by
AHAC with the SEC and those included under the header “Risk
Factors” in the final prospectus of AHAC related to its initial
public offering. Most of these factors are outside of AHAC’s and
Humacyte’s control and are difficult to predict. Furthermore, if
the forward-looking statements prove to be inaccurate, the
inaccuracy may be material. In light of the significant
uncertainties in these forward-looking statements, you should not
regard these statements as a representation or warranty by us or
any other person that we will achieve our objectives and plans in
any specified time frame, or at all. The forward-looking statements
in this press release represent our views as of the date of this
press release. We anticipate that subsequent events and
developments will cause our views to change. However, while we may
elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in
the future, we have no current intention of doing so except to the
extent required by applicable law. You should, therefore, not rely
on these forward-looking statements as representing our views as of
any date subsequent to the date of this press release.
Non-SolicitationThis press
release is not a proxy statement or solicitation of a proxy,
consent or authorization with respect to any securities or in
respect of the proposed business combination and shall not
constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy
any securities nor shall there be any sale of securities in any
state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale
would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the
securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. No offer of
securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting
the requirements of the Securities Act.
Humacyte Investor
Contact:investors@humacyte.comHumacyte Media
Contact:media@humacyte.com
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