Stem Cell Sciences plc
09 November 2007
Press Release
SCS REGAINS ALL OUTSTANDING RIGHTS TO COMMERCIALISE ITS
NS CELL TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM GLOBALLY
("Stem Cell Sciences", "SCS")
9th November 2007
Stem Cell Sciences plc (AIM: STEM, ASX: STC) today announces that the company
has secured all outstanding rights to commercialise its neural stem (NS) cell
technology for both research and stem-cell based therapies.
The recovery of these rights from SCS KK (Japan) completes a series of
transactions through which SCS plc and SCS KK have become fully independent
companies. SCS plc has retained the right to use the Stem Cell Sciences company
name in Japan and has fully divested its shareholding in SCS KK. With the
conclusion of this transaction, Dr Peter Mountford, CEO of SCS plc, will leave
the Board of SCS KK. At 30 September 2007, the carrying value of SCS Group
investment in SCS KK was £25,000.
Commenting on the agreement, Dr Mountford said: "These changes simplify our
respective businesses, enabling both companies to focus now on their different
areas of interest and to have unhindered access to worldwide markets. Regaining
full global rights to our NS cell technology will enable us to accelerate
development and licensing of these cells, which are already in successful use
for drug discovery with a number of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.
A key focus for SCS is to ensure that we fully develop the commercial potential
of all our stem cell technologies in basic and applied research. This
transaction will help to achieve that objective."
- Ends -
For further information, please contact:
Stem Cell Sciences plc (United Kingdom) +44 131 662 9829
Peter Mountford, President and CEO
Halsin Partners (Media & Investors - EU/US) +44 20 7084 5955
Mike Sinclair
Stem Cell Sciences (Australia) pty ltd +61 3 9905 0600
David Newton, General Manager
Talk Biotech (Media & Investors - Australia/Asia) +61 422 206036
Fay Weston
Stem Cell Sciences llc (USA) +1 415 495 7340
George Murphy, Vice President Business Development
Notes to Editors
Stem Cell Sciences plc (SCS, AIM: STEM, ASX: STC) is a global biotechnology
company providing the biological infrastructure of cells and cell culture media
to the burgeoning stem cell research market.
Stem Cell Sciences' core objective is to develop safe and effective cell-based
therapies for currently incurable diseases. SCS retains all rights to its
technology for therapeutic use and is targeting cell-based therapies for
neurodegenerative disease and injury.
Revenues from Stem Cell Sciences' research business are delivered via an
integrated network of business teams and regional offices in Edinburgh and
Cambridge (UK), Melbourne (Australia) and San Francisco (USA). This global reach
provides the Company with the direct access to markets through experienced
personnel and local business networks needed to drive SCS's business growth in
each region.
The key challenge for the successful application of stem cells in both research
and clinical applications is the reproducible supply of pure, fully
characterized stem cells and stem cell-derived specialised cells such as nerves
and muscle. This represents a significant technological challenge that will
require access to multiple technologies and a globally integrated stem cell
initiative.
To access cutting edge technologies on a rapid and on-going basis, Stem Cell
Sciences has built an exceptional network of highly interactive collaborations
with academic centres of excellence in the stem cell field. These collaborations
have been the source of our founding technologies and continue to provide an
expanding pipeline of products and intellectual property that are central to the
Company's strategy and success.
To facilitate research and technology transfer with its major collaborating
academic institutions, Stem Cell Sciences' business and scientific teams are
usually co-located on site or adjacent to the centre of excellence in
independent company facilities. The Company's key collaborating institutes
include the Wellcome Trust Centre for Stem Cell Research (University of
Cambridge), the Institute of Stem Cell Research (University of Edinburgh), RIKEN
Centre for Developmental Biology (Kobe) and the Australian Stem Cell Centre
(Melbourne).
Academic and commercial use of stem cells in basic research and drug discovery
provides the Company with immediate and growing revenue streams and offsets the
cost of technology development for full scale cell production of SCS cell-based
therapeutics.
For further information on the company please visit:
www.stemcellsciences.com
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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