New Peer-Reviewed Data on equicenta® CTM — Equine Performance Labs
Equine Performance Labs
Frontiers PublicationSee the Data
2.72:1 Odds of Return to Performance

Published Clinical Trial · Bertone et al., Front. Vet. Sci. 2026

One Dose. A Controlled Trial. A Clear Performance Result.

equicenta® CTM is a cryopreserved equine umbilical cord tissue allograft for joints, tendons, and ligaments, administered as a single, ready-to-use intra-articular, intralesional, or perilesional injection.

Read the Published Study Download the Publication
Read the Study Download Publication
2.72:1 odds of returning to or exceeding prior performance · p<0.006 d=2.23, large effect size, preserved in ITT & per-protocol 138 horses · 195 conditions · 8 U.S. practices · 11 veterinarians 3.4% vs 10.5% injection reaction rate vs. standard of care 26-week follow-up · 98% completion 2.72:1 odds of returning to or exceeding prior performance · p<0.006 d=2.23, large effect size, preserved in ITT & per-protocol 138 horses · 195 conditions · 8 U.S. practices · 11 veterinarians 3.4% vs 10.5% injection reaction rate vs. standard of care 26-week follow-up · 98% completion

Evidence At A Glance

A first-in-class, cryopreserved equine umbilical cord tissue allograft for joints, tendons, and ligaments. In the first controlled trial of its kind in horses, a single ready-to-use injection outperformed standard-of-care biologics across pain, swelling, lameness, and return to performance. Injection reactions were reported after 3.4% of equicenta® CTM injections and 10.5% of standard-of-care injections.

equicenta® CTM vial, cryopreserved and ready to use
2.72:1
Odds of Return to Performance
vs. clinician-selected standard of care. Pre-specified 26-week performance endpoint (p<0.006). Intent-to-treat.
d = 2.23
Cohen's D: Large Effect
Preserved in both intent-to-treat and per-protocol analyses.
Through Week 12 Greater cumulative clinical improvement in pain, swelling & lameness (p<0.003). Clinical outcomes at Week 12 are assessed separately from the 26-week performance endpoint.
138
Horses
Enrolled
195
Conditions
Treated
8
U.S. Practices
11 Veterinarians
26
Weeks
Follow-Up

Pragmatic, prospective, multicenter, open-label controlled trial versus clinician-selected standard of care. Source: Bertone AL, et al., Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 2026 · DOI 10.3389/fvets.2026.1833933

Built On Evidence

Designed for Scrutiny

A controlled trial asks a harder question than a case series: how did this product compare with the biologics already in use, under the same follow-up rules?

Design
Pragmatic, prospective, multicenter, open-label controlled trial across 8 U.S. specialty equine practices (Oct 2024–Aug 2025), reported under CONSORT with an intention-to-treat analysis and a 26-week per-protocol performance analysis.
Allocation
Randomized within practice by coin-toss plus a block sequence, targeting roughly 2:1; a 1.9:1 eCTM-to-SOC ratio was achieved (91:47). The horse was the unit of assignment.
Comparator
Clinician-selected, non-steroidal standard-of-care biologic (APS, PRP, ACS/IRAP, HA, and others) per veterinary judgment: a real-world, head-to-head field comparison, not a saline placebo.
Conditions
All 195 conditions across five diagnostic categories: osteoarthritis/synovitis, tendonitis (SDFT, DDFT), desmitis (suspensory branch, proximal suspensory), OCD, and subchondral bone/cysts, balanced between arms.
Population
No significant between-arm differences in breed, age, sex, weight, discipline, or limb (mean 8.7 yr, 490 kg). Thoroughbred 39 · Warmblood 33 · Quarter Horse 33 (of 138).
Why this design matters: near-complete follow-up (100% at Week 12; 98% at Week 26) means the result isn't driven by keeping only the easiest cases. Because allocation was randomized rather than a curated case series, it's a true reflection of a veterinarian's decision in practice.

Clinical usage · Frontiers 2026

Clinical Usage in the Trial

Product

Cryopreserved equine umbilical cord tissue allograft, supplied as a single, ready-to-use dose.

Route of administration

Intra-articular, intralesional, or perilesional injection.

Dose

A single dose per joint. For large joints such as the stifle, a single dose was given in each stifle pouch (medial, lateral, and femoropatellar).

Injections

224 injections in 138 horses: 148 equicenta® CTM injections (91 horses) and 76 standard-of-care injections (47 horses).

Comparator

Clinician-selected, non-steroidal standard-of-care biologic (APS, PRP, ACS/IRAP, HA, and others) per veterinary judgment.

Follow-up

Pre-specified 26-week performance endpoint at 8 U.S. specialty equine practices. Follow-up was 100% at Week 12 and 98% at Week 26.

equicenta® CTM is investigational. These details describe how it was used in the published trial and are not instructions for use. Full methods: Bertone AL, et al. Front. Vet. Sci. 2026 (read the study).

The Result

One dose. Measured against the standard of care horses already receive.

26-Week Endpoint

Return To Or Exceeding Prior Performance

At the pre-specified 26-week endpoint, eCTM cases had 2.72:1 odds of returning to or exceeding prior performance versus clinician-selected standard of care (p<0.006, Cohen's d=2.23).

Composition of Score-4 Responders: horses reaching return-to-or-exceed-prior-work status at 26 weeks

equicenta® CTM79%
Standard of Care21%
2.72X
Odds vs. SOC (p<0.006)
d=2.23
Effect Size, ITT & Per-Protocol
45/57
eCTM Score-4 Responders
Clinical interpretation: a performance score of 4 means return to or exceeding pre-injury level of work at 26 weeks. Among the 57 horses who reached that score, 79% (45/57) were in the eCTM arm and 21% (12/57) were in the SOC arm.

The Pivotal Trial · Safety

Fewer Reported Injection Reactions Than Standard of Care

A head-to-head observation versus clinician-selected standard of care in the same trial.

Central Review: Per-Injection Reaction Rate

equicenta® CTM (5/148 injections)3.4%
Standard of Care (8/76 injections)10.5%
4.8:1
Vet-Reported Odds, SOC Higher (p<0.04)
5.9:1
Central-Review Odds, SOC Higher (p<0.002)
0/148
Injection-Site Inflammation · No Infection
Clinical interpretation: clinician-selected standard-of-care biologics were associated with several-fold higher reported injection-reaction odds than equicenta® CTM in this trial, and no serious product-related events were attributed to equicenta® CTM.

Beyond The Trial

The Cases Behind the Numbers

Every data point above traces back to real horses. Here are a few of their stories.

Case 1: Day 0 gait analysis showing RF impact asymmetry
Clinical Case

Case 1: Managing Advanced RF Injury with Surgical History

Day 0 Moderate Grade 3 RF, blocked to foot. Progression and management of a complex case.

Read the Case
Case 2: Day 0 — visible swelling at the suspensory branch
Clinical Case

Case 2: Managing Grade 4 LF Lameness

Progression and management of a severe LF lameness using a structured treatment plan.

Read the Case

In Their Words

Find Out Why Veterinarians Trust equicenta® CTM

“The 100% veterinary follow-up for 26 weeks of 138 horses with 195 conditions of joints, tendons, or ligaments and 224 injections represents a meaningful advance and defining moment for clinical evidence based regenerative medicine.”

Alicia Bertone, DVM, PhDSenior Clinical Advisor, Equine Performance Labs · Lead Study Author

Horse First, Sport Second.

Now, It’s Published

One dose. A controlled trial. A clear performance result. This is the evidence behind equicenta® CTM.

Download Publication Read the Full Study Talk to Your Vet