15th Nov 2005 07:02
Stem Cell Sciences plc15 November 2005 For immediate release Stem Cell Sciences Advances Towards Its First Cell Therapy Program for Degenerative Disease Edinburgh, UK and Kobe, Japan and Melbourne, Australia, 15th November, 2005 - StemCell Sciences plc (AIM: STEM), the global stem cell company, today announcedthat Stem Cell Sciences KK (SCS KK), an affiliated company of Stem Cell Sciencesplc (SCS plc) in Japan, has signed a worldwide exclusive license agreement withThe Universite de Nice Sophia-Antipolis, France (University of Nice), to commercialise human multipotent adipose-derived stem cells (hMADS) andtechnologies which will form the basis for a cell therapy programme focused ondegenerative diseases including Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). Under this agreement, SCS KK and affiliated companies of the SCS group willobtain exclusive rights to the use of patents and expertise relating to thehMADS technology in the field of cell therapies. The agreement was brokered byFrance Innovation Scientifique et Transfert SA (FIST SA) on behalf of TheUniversity of Nice who will receive an upfront fee, annual milestones paymentsand royalties. Further financial details were not disclosed. The hMADS cells are human multipotent stem cells obtained from the subcutaneousfat or adipose tissue of young donors. These stem cells are able to produce manydifferent types of cells including cardiac, vascular, muscle, bone, adiposecells and cartilage in the laboratory. In research to date, these cells have been transplanted into a mouse model ofDMD and were not rejected in the absence of immunosuppressive treatment. Inaddition, considerable and long-term human dystrophin expression resulted. Theseresults are highly encouraging as they highlight the potential of these cells incell-based therapies (allo-transplantation) for patients suffering from DMD. ThehMADS cells will form the basis of SCS KK's cell therapy programme indegenerative neuromuscular disease - the first cell therapy program of the SCSgroup. "We are delighted to have obtained the hMADS technology that will allow thesupply of cells for cell-based regenerative therapies from a renewable,laboratory grown resource. These renewable hMADS cells will form the basis forour pre-clinical program due to commence in 2006 in Muscular Dystrophy andArteriosclerosis. We look forward to working together with SCS plc to acceleratecommercialisation of the hMADS development program," stated Mr. Kenzo Nakajima,President and CEO of SCS KK. "The initiation of this first cell therapy program marks a significant milestonein our business. Our partners at SCS KK are exceptionally well positioned topursue this exciting opportunity on behalf of the SCS group given their locationand interaction within The Kobe Frontier Medical Precinct. This outstandingbiomedical precinct provides access to state of the art infra-structure andclinical expertise needed to progress the opportunity in an urgent area of unmetmedical need," commented Dr Peter Mountford, President and CEO of SCS plc. - Ends - Notes to Editors: About Stem Cells Stem Cells are undifferentiated (unspecialised) cells that can divide to makecopies of themselves or differentiate (change) to become specialized cells of aspecific tissue such as muscle, nerve cells or blood. About hMADS hMADS are stem cells derived from the fat tissue of young children. The tissuesample from which hMADS are derived may arise as a consequence of an unrelatedsurgical procedure or tissue biopsy. hMADS have been shown to integrate into themuscle of mice and to produce significant levels of the protein that isdefective in patients that suffer DMD. The hMADS cells licensed from the University of Nice were discovered by Dr.Christian Dani, INSERM Director and Head of the Stem Cells and Differentiationlaboratory and Professor Gerard Ailhaud, Head of the Adipose Tissue Developmentlaboratory, both working at the Institute of Signaling, Biology of Developmentand Cancer in France. About Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) DMD affects approximately 1 in every 3,500 boys and is the most the mostfrequent, lethal, inheritable childhood disease. DMD has an estimated potentialmarket of approximately US$3 billion and is the most common form of a family ofmore than 20 muscle-wasting diseases. About Stem Cell Sciences plc Stem Cell Sciences (SCS plc) is a global biotechnology company established inMelbourne in 1994 to undertake development and commercialization of stem celltechnologies. SCS plc, a major shareholder in SCS KK, is headquartered inEdinburgh, UK and has an additional wholly owned R&D subsidiary in Melbourne,Australia. SCS plc is expanding operations in 2006 to Cambridge, U.K. and theUnited States. The new U.K. site in Cambridge will focus on automation ofcell-based drug discovery assays for the pharmaceutical industry. The U.S.expansion will initially be based on licensing opportunities of key SCStechnologies, including Stem Cell Selection and novel Neural Stem cells. StemCell Sciences listed on the London AIM exchange on 18 July 2005. About Stem Cell Science KK Stem Cell Sciences KK (SCS KK), a joint venture between SCS plc and Sosei, is abiotechnology company focused on generating cell-based regenerative therapies.The Company is currently developing stem cell technologies for cell therapiesutilizing various intellectual properties obtained from its affiliated company,SCS plc, in the UK. Such technology development includes collaborative researchwith Riken Centre for Developmental Biology (CDB), Tissue Engineering ResearchCenter at National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology(Kobe) and participation in the research project titled "Collaboration ofRegional Entities for the Advancement of Technological Excellence" supported bythe Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Forfurther information about SCS KK, please visit www.scskk.com. About France Innovation Scientifique et Transfert SA France Innovation Scientifique et Transfert SA (FIST SA), is charge of patentmanagement and technology transfer for various French academic researchinstitutes especially the CNRS. Since it was founded in 1992, FIST SA has negotiated more than 700 technology transfer agreements, and evaluated more than2500 invention disclosures. The Company currently employs a team of 35 people and is based in Paris, France. Contact for Stem Cell Sciences plc: Hugh Ilyine, Vice President and COOPhone: +44 (0) 131 662 9829E-mail: [email protected] Contact for Stem Cell Sciences KK:Masao NOGUCHIPhone: +81 78 306 0381E-mail: [email protected] Weber Shandwick / Square MileYvonne Alexander - PRPhone: +44 (0) 207 067 0725Email: [email protected] Contact for FIST:Dale Roche Email: [email protected] This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
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