CD34+ Cell Therapy Significantly Reduces Adverse Cardiac Events, Health Care Expenditures, and Mortality in Patients with Refractory Angina

Abstract

Patients with refractory angina who are suboptimal candidates for further revascularization have improved exercise time, decreased angina frequency, and reduced major adverse cardiac events with intramyocardial delivery of CD34⁺ cells. However, the effect of CD34⁺ cell therapy on health care expenditures before and after treatment is unknown. We determined the effect of CD34⁺ cell therapy on cardiac-related hospital visits and costs during the 12 months following stem cell injection compared with the 12 months prior to injection. Cardiac-related hospital admissions and procedures were retrospectively tabulated for patients enrolled at one site in one of three double-blinded, placebo-controlled CD34⁺ trials in the 12 months before and after intramyocardial injections of CD34⁺ cells vs placebo. Fifty-six patients were randomized to CD34⁺ cell therapy (n = 37) vs placebo (n = 19). Patients randomized to cell therapy experienced 1.57 ± 1.39 cardiac-related hospital visits 12 months before injection, compared with 0.78 ± 1.90 hospital visits 12 months after injection, which was associated with a 62% cost reduction translating to an average savings of $5500 per cell therapy patient. Patients in the placebo group also demonstrated a reduction in cardiac-related hospital events and costs, although to a lesser degree than the CD34⁺ group. Through 1 January 2019, 24% of CD34⁺ subjects died at an average of 6.5 ± 2.4 years after enrollment, whereas 47% of placebo patients died at an average of 3.7 ± 1.9 years after enrollment. In conclusion, CD34⁺ cell therapy for subjects with refractory angina is associated with improved mortality and a reduction in hospital visits and expenditures for cardiac procedures in the year following treatment.