A Phase 1/2 interventional study of Stem cells in Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease, sponsored by SMSbiotech. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-13.
Sponsored by SMSbiotech · Phase 1/2, Interventional, and Treatment
This study is a phase 1b/2a, open-label, non-randomized, observation of 125 adults, with moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, treated with SORT-COPD (SMS cells).
The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the preliminary within-participant changes of SORT-COPD (SMS cells), in suspension, delivered to the lung as an aerosolized mist via a vibrating mesh nebulizer, on respiratory health status in participants with moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
SORT-COPD II is a Phase 1b/2a, open-label, non-randomized, single-arm clinical study evaluating an investigational biologic therapy called SORT-COPD in adults with moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). SORT-COPD consists of Small Mobile Stem (SMS) cells suspended in Hank's Balanced Salt Solution and delivered directly to the lungs as an aerosolized mist using a vibrating mesh nebulizer.
SMS cells are small adult stem cells derived from human blood. Laboratory and animal studies suggest that these cells may bind to cells involved in lung repair and influence inflammatory, vascular, extracellular matrix, and tissue-repair processes. SORT-COPD is being investigated as a potential regenerative and disease-modifying therapy for COPD. However, its safety and potential clinical effects in people with COPD have not been fully established, and participation may not provide an individual medical benefit.
Up to 125 participants will be enrolled. The first 5 participants will form the Phase 1b portion of the study. These participants will receive the protocol-specified treatment regimen and will be followed through the Day 28 safety assessment. An independent Data Safety Monitoring Committee will then review the available safety and tolerability information before enrollment proceeds into Phase 2a.
If the Data Safety Monitoring Committee recommends continuation, an additional 120 participants will be enrolled in the Phase 2a portion. The Phase 2a portion is intended to further characterize safety and to estimate changes from baseline following treatment. The results will be used to inform the design of subsequent controlled clinical trials. The Data Safety Monitoring Committee will continue to review cumulative safety information during the study and may recommend that enrollment or treatment continue as planned, be temporarily paused, be modified, or be stopped.
All participants will receive the same treatment regimen. On each treatment day, participants will receive 2.4 billion SMS cells by oral inhalation through an Aerogen Solo vibrating mesh nebulizer used with an Aerogen Ultra device. Treatment will be administered at the study site on Days 1, 3, and 6, for a total planned dose of 7.2 billion SMS cells per participant.
For each treatment, three vials containing 0.8 billion SMS cells in 1 mL will be used. Each vial will be diluted with an additional 1 mL of Hank's Balanced Salt Solution before nebulization. The three diluted portions provide 6 mL of investigational cell suspension. After the cell suspension has been administered, an additional 3 mL of Hank's Balanced Salt Solution without SMS cells will be nebulized as a washout. The total nebulized volume on each treatment day will therefore be 9 mL. Administration is expected to take approximately 30 minutes.
Participants will undergo screening for up to 30 days before the first treatment. Study visits and assessments will include medical examinations, safety laboratory testing, electrocardiograms, monitoring for adverse events, pulmonary function testing, exercise assessments, respiratory questionnaires, and lung imaging. Participants will be monitored at the study site during and after each treatment. Follow-up will continue through approximately 12 months after treatment, and each participant is expected to remain in the study for up to approximately 13 months.
4,252 studies on the registry are indexed under Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; 707 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 125 is above the median of 70 across 3,008 interventional studies indexed under Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive.
Browse Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive studies →SMSbiotech is the lead sponsor of 2 studies on the registry; 2 are open to participants now.
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Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Female participants:
A female participant is eligible to participate if she is not pregnant or breastfeeding, and one of the following conditions applies:
If a urine test cannot be confirmed as negative (e.g., an ambiguous result), a serum pregnancy test is required. In such cases, the participant must be excluded from participation if the serum pregnancy result is positive.
Male participants:
Has a diagnosis of moderate to severe COPD-C (cigarette smoking COPD) or COPD-P (biomass and pollution exposure COPD) according to the 2023 Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) Criteria [1, 2].
Lung impairment will be determined with post-bronchodilator FEV1 spirometry.
Exclusion Criteria:
Participants must not meet any of the exclusion criteria.
History or active malignancy, including any potential neoplasm detected via high-resolution CT scan (nodule > 5 mm) detected as part of the screening process.
People with a history of basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin are eligible.
Participants receive 2.4 billion SMS cells by oral inhalation via vibrating mesh nebulizer on Days 1, 3, and 6 (total: 7.2 billion cells). Safety and tolerability are reviewed by an independent DSMC through Day 28 prior to Phase 2a enrollment.
Biological: Stem cells
Participants receive the same treatment regimen as Cohort 1: 2.4 billion SMS cells by oral inhalation via vibrating mesh nebulizer on Days 1, 3, and 6 (total: 7.2 billion cells), following DSMC review of Phase 1b safety data.
Biological: Stem cells
The suspension of Small Mobile Stem (SMS) cells will be placed into a medical nebulizer machine, commonly used to deliver medicines into the lungs through inhalation. Participants with moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) will breathe in the mist containing the SMS cells through a mouthpiece. The treatment will be given at the study site on Days 1, 3, and 6. Each treatment will contain 2.4 billion SMS cells and will take approximately 30 minutes to complete. This is a Phase 1b/2a study designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and potential effects of SMS cells in people with moderate to severe COPD.
Also known as: Small Molecule Stem (SMS) Cells
Adverse events (AEs)
Incidence and severity of Treatment-Emergent Adverse Events (TEAEs) graded using CTCAE Version 6.0, and incidence of treatment-related TEAEs, Serious Adverse Events (SAEs), and Adverse Events of Special Interest (AESIs)
Time frame: Baseline through 12 months
Phase 1b: Dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs)
Incidence of DLTs and and participant stopping-rule events during Phase 1b safety review period prior to Phase 2a expansion
Time frame: Baseline through Day 28
Number of Participants With Clinically Significant Changes From Baseline in Hematology Laboratory Parameters
Number of participants with at least one clinically significant change from baseline in hematology laboratory parameters, as determined by the investigator based on the laboratory reference range, magnitude of change from baseline, and clinical relevance. Hematology assessments include protocol-specified parameters such as hemoglobin, hematocrit, red blood cell count, white blood cell count with differential, and platelet count. Participants with one or more clinically significant hematology abnormalities will be counted once for this outcome measure.
Time frame: Baseline, Day 28, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months
Number of Participants With Clinically Significant Changes From Baseline in Serum Chemistry Laboratory Parameters
Number of participants with at least one clinically significant change from baseline in serum chemistry laboratory parameters, as determined by the investigator based on the laboratory reference range, magnitude of change from baseline, and clinical relevance. Serum chemistry assessments include protocol-specified measures of renal function, hepatic function, electrolytes, glucose, and other chemistry parameters. Participants with one or more clinically significant serum chemistry abnormalities will be counted once for this outcome measure.
Time frame: Baseline, Day 28, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months
Number of Participants With Clinically Significant ECG Abnormalities
Number of participants with at least one clinically significant electrocardiogram abnormality, as determined by the investigator. ECG assessment will include heart rate, PR interval, QRS duration, QT interval, and corrected QT interval (QTc). Participants with one or more clinically significant ECG abnormalities will be counted once for this outcome measure.
Time frame: Baseline, Day 28, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months
Number of Participants With Clinically Significant Changes From Baseline in Systolic Blood Pressure
Number of participants with a clinically significant change from baseline in systolic blood pressure, measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg), as determined by the investigator based on the magnitude of change and clinical relevance.
Time frame: Baseline, Day 28, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months
Number of Participants With Clinically Significant Changes From Baseline in Diastolic Blood Pressure
Number of participants with a clinically significant change from baseline in diastolic blood pressure, measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg), as determined by the investigator based on the magnitude of change and clinical relevance.
Time frame: Baseline, Day 28, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months
Number of Participants With Clinically Significant Changes From Baseline in Heart Rate
Number of participants with a clinically significant change from baseline in heart rate, measured in beats per minute, as determined by the investigator based on the magnitude of change and clinical relevance.
Time frame: Baseline, Day 28, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months
Number of Participants With Clinically Significant Changes From Baseline in Respiratory Rate
Number of participants with a clinically significant change from baseline in respiratory rate, measured in breaths per minute, as determined by the investigator based on the magnitude of change and clinical relevance.
Time frame: Baseline, Day 28, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months
Number of Participants With Clinically Significant Changes From Baseline in Peripheral Oxygen Saturation
Number of participants with a clinically significant change from baseline in peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2), measured as percent oxygen saturation by pulse oximetry, as determined by the investigator based on the magnitude of change and clinical relevance.
Time frame: Baseline, Day 28, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months
Number of Participants With Clinically Significant Abnormal Physical Examination Findings
Number of participants with at least one new or worsened clinically significant abnormal finding identified during physical examination after study treatment, as determined by the investigator. Participants with multiple clinically significant physical examination findings will be counted once for this outcome measure.
Time frame: Baseline, Day 28, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months
Number of Participants With Clinically Significant Changes From Baseline in Pre-Dose FEV1
Number of participants with a clinically significant change from baseline in pre-dose forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), measured in liters by spirometry, as determined by the investigator based on the magnitude of change and clinical relevance.
Time frame: Baseline, Day 28, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months
Number of Participants With Clinically Significant Changes From Pre-Dose to Post-Dose FEV1
Number of participants with a clinically significant change in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) from the pre-dose measurement to the protocol-specified post-dose measurement, measured in liters by spirometry, as determined by the investigator based on the magnitude of change and clinical relevance.
Time frame: Baseline, Day 28, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months
Number of Participants With Clinically Significant Changes From Baseline in Pre-Dose FVC
Number of participants with a clinically significant change from baseline in pre-dose forced vital capacity (FVC), measured in liters by spirometry, as determined by the investigator based on the magnitude of change and clinical relevance.
Time frame: Baseline, Day 28, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months
Number of Participants With Clinically Significant Changes From Pre-Dose to Post-Dose FVC
Number of participants with a clinically significant change in forced vital capacity (FVC) from the pre-dose measurement to the protocol-specified post-dose measurement, measured in liters by spirometry, as determined by the investigator based on the magnitude of change and clinical relevance.
Time frame: Baseline, Day 28, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months
Number of Participants With Treatment-Emergent Hypersensitivity Reactions
Number of participants experiencing at least one treatment-emergent hypersensitivity reaction during or following administration of study treatment. Hypersensitivity reactions will be identified by the investigator based on protocol-defined clinical signs and symptoms, including allergic or systemic hypersensitivity manifestations. Participants experiencing more than one hypersensitivity reaction will be counted once for this outcome measure.
Time frame: Baseline, Day 28, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months
Number of Participants With Treatment-Emergent Inhalation-Related Reactions
Number of participants experiencing at least one treatment-emergent respiratory or inhalation-related reaction during or following nebulized study treatment. Reactions may include protocol-defined respiratory signs or symptoms such as cough, wheezing, chest tightness, dyspnea, bronchospasm, or clinically significant oxygen desaturation. Participants experiencing more than one inhalation-related reaction will be counted once for this outcome measure.
Time frame: Baseline, Day 28, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months
Spirometry
Within-participant absolute change from baseline in post-bronchodilator Forced Expiratory Volume in One Second (FEV1), measured in liters (L), performed according to ATS/ERS standards
Time frame: Baseline, Day 28, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months
Spirometry
Within-participant change from baseline in post-bronchodilator FEV1 z-score, calculated using GLI Global reference equations
Time frame: Baseline, Day 28, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months
Spirometry
Within-participant change from baseline in Percent Predicted FEV1 (ppFEV1), measured in percentage points and calculated using GLI Global reference equations
Time frame: Baseline, Day 28, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months
Spirometry
Within-participant change from baseline in Forced Vital Capacity (FVC), measured in liters (L), performed according to ATS/ERS standards
Time frame: Baseline, Day 28, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months
Spirometry
Within-participant change from baseline in FEV1/FVC Ratio, measured as a percentage (%)
Time frame: Baseline, Day 28, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months
Oscillometry
Within-participant change from baseline in respiratory system Resistance (Rrs) over differing frequencies, measured in cmH2O/L/s, performed according to ERS technical standards
Time frame: Baseline, Day 28, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months
Oscillometry
Within-participant change from baseline in respiratory system Reactance (Xrs) over differing frequencies, measured in cmH2O/L/s, performed according to ERS technical standards
Time frame: Baseline, Day 28, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months
Oscillometry
Within-participant change from baseline in Reactance Area (AX), measured in cmH20/L
Time frame: Baseline, Day 28, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months
Plethysmography
Within-participant change from baseline in Functional Residual Capacity (FRC), measured in liters (L), performed according to ATS/ERS standards
Time frame: Baseline, Day 28, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months
Plethysmography
Within-participant change from baseline in Total Lung Capacity (TLC), measured in liters (L), performed according to ATS/ERS standards
Time frame: Baseline, Day 28, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months
Plethysmography
Within-participant change from baseline in Ratio of Residual Volume (RV/TLC), measured as a percentage (%)
Time frame: Baseline, Day 28, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months
Diffusing Capacity of the Lungs for Carbon Monoxide (DLCO)
Within-participant change from baseline in DLCO
Time frame: Baseline, Day 28, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months
Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT)
Within-participant change from baseline in 6MWT total distance, heart rate, oxygen saturation, fatigue score, and dyspnea score
Time frame: Baseline, Day 28, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months
Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide (FeNO)
Within-participant change from baseline in FeNO
Time frame: Baseline, Day 28, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months
St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ)
Within-participant change from baseline in St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire total score. Total score ranges from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating worse respiratory health status and greater impairment in health-related quality of life. Lower scores indicate better outcomes.
Time frame: Baseline, Day 28, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months
COPD exacerbations
Number of exacerbations, time to first exacerbation, exacerbations requiring systemic corticosteroids or antibiotics, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations
Time frame: Baseline through 12 months
Computed Tomography (CT)
CT lung densitometry
Time frame: Baseline and 12 months
Plan to share: No — De-identified data will be published in a peer review scientific journal or presented at a scientific conference. There is no plan at this stage to make IPD available.
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
Start is estimated for Oct 2026; primary completion for Oct 2027, 12 months later.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Oct 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Studies of the drug tested here: Stem Cell
Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive →
SMSbiotech