Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc. announced additional positive results from its Phase 1b study of human allogeneic adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (COVI-MSC™) for patients suffering from COVID-19-induced acute respiratory distress (ARD) or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). This ongoing study (PSC-CP-004) is a single arm, non-randomized Phase 1b study of the safety and preliminary efficacy of COVI-MSCs administered every other day for three infusions for a total of 1 x 106 cells/kg. The primary objective is to evaluate the safety of intravenous infusion of allogeneic adipose MSC cells in patients with COVID-19-induced ARD or ARDS. On January 26, 2021, Sorrento announced the first three enrolled ICU COVID-19 patients were discharged from the hospital within a week of starting COVI-MSC infusions and a fourth patient just started the COVI-MSC treatment last, January 25, 2021. The fourth patient who had been in the hospital for more than 2 weeks and required intubation and mechanical ventilation with worsening pulmonary compromise received 3 infusions of COVI-MSC and improved so rapidly that he was able to be discharged the evening after his 3rd infusion on January 29, 2021. No infusion related safety events were reported. Dr. Eyad Almasri, Associate Professor of Medicine, Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at UCSF Fresno, is the principal investigator in this ongoing study.