Benzinga | Jun 11, 2021 07:33AM EDT

Alpha Healthcare Acquisition Corp. SPAC Merger Partner, Humacyte, Reports Expansion Of Strategic Global Partnership With Fresenius Medical Care

* Partnership expanded to include vascular trauma repair outside of the United States.

* Fresenius Medical Care will adopt the HAV as a standard of care in patients who will benefit from clinical and economic perspectives.

* Fresenius Medical Care is a leading participant in fully committed PIPE financing transaction.

DURHAM, N.C., June 11, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Humacyte, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology platform company developing universally implantable bioengineered human tissue at commercial scale, announces the expansion of the strategic collaboration between Fresenius Medical Care, the world's largest provider of dialysis products and services. Under the expanded collaboration, Fresenius Medical Care will have the exclusive rights to commercialize Humacyte's 6 millimeter x 42 centimeter human acellular vessel and all improvements thereto, and modifications and derivatives thereof (HAVs) in vascular trauma outside of the United States.

Under a Distribution Agreement entered into in June 2018, Fresenius Medical Care obtained the exclusive global rights to commercialize Humacyte's HAVs in the applications of vascular access for hemodialysis and peripheral arterial disease. Under the expanded Distribution Agreement, Fresenius Medical Care and its affiliates will have exclusive rights to develop outside the United States and EU, and to commercialize outside of the United States, Humacyte's HAVs for use in the field of vascular creation, repair, replacement or construction, including renal replacement therapy for dialysis access, the treatment of peripheral arterial disease, and the treatment of vascular trauma. The agreement excludes use of the HAVs by Fresenius Medical Care for coronary artery bypass grafting, pediatric heart surgery, or adhering pancreatic islet cells onto the outer surface of the HAV for use in diabetic patients. Within the United States, Fresenius Medical Care will collaborate with Humacyte in its commercialization of HAVs in the field described above, including adoption of HAVs as a standard of care in patients for which such use is supported by clinical results and health economic analyses.

"During our collaboration with Humacyte we have seen the potential applications for their regenerative platform expand significantly, and we look forward to partnering with Humacyte as they continue their mission to bring an off the shelf and universally implantable bioengineered human tissue to the care of people in need of vascular surgery," said Frank Maddux, MD, Chief Medical Officer for Fresenius Medical Care. "This innovative technology has the potential to provide improved outcomes for patients and reduced medical and economic burdens to the healthcare system."

"We are pleased to expand our partnership with Fresenius Medical Care, the world's leading care provider for patients undergoing kidney replacement therapy," said Laura Niklason, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Humacyte. "Our two teams have worked well to prepare for the commercialization of our HAVs globally since the formation of the partnership, and we look forward to collaborating further to benefit patients, care providers and our two companies." Fresenius Medical Care has a network of more than 4,000 dialysis centers worldwide, and cares for over 300,000 patients with end-stage renal failure.

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. Fresenius Medical Care is the leading participant in the PIPE financing.