Technology Licence

RNS Number : 2852F

Stem Cell Sciences plc

08 October 2008

 



Press Release

Stem Cell ScienceS IN-licenses technology from 
university of cambridge FOR REPROGRAMMING adult CELLS INTO STEM CELLS 

("Stem Cell Sciences", "SCS", "the Company")

8th October 2008

Stem Cell Sciences plc (AIM:STEM, ASX:STC), a company focused on the commercialisation of stem cells and stem cell technologies, has signed a licence agreement with Cambridge Enterprise Limited that gives the Company access to certain technologies created by Professor Austin Smith for reprogramming adult cells into stem cells.

Professor Smith is one of the world's leading experts in the field of stem cell biology. He is Director of the Wellcome Trust Centre for Stem Cell Research at the University of Cambridge, and Chairman of SCS's Scientific Advisory Board. Over the past two decades, he has pioneered new techniques for generating high quality stem cells, which are expected to have enormous potential in medical research, drug discovery and for the development of cell-based therapies.

The agreement, signed with Cambridge Enterprise Ltd, the technology transfer company for the University of Cambridge, relates specifically to patents and know-how for technologies used to generate 'induced pluripotent stem cells' or iPS cells from mammalian cells. Importantly, this new approach offers the significant benefit that mammalian embryos are not required as the starting point for generating pluripotent stem cells. The novel growth media that have been developed for the generation of iPS cells are expected to be valuable additions to the Company's media offering, an important and growing source of revenue. 

SCS has built a strong portfolio of intellectual property around the development and commercialisation of stem cell technologies, and this new licence strengthens this portfolio further. In addition, the new licence enhances the Company's close relationship and continuing collaboration with Professor Smith, whose earlier discoveries at the University of Edinburgh, have also been exclusively in-licensed by the Company. 

Dr Alastair Riddell, Chief Executive Officer of Stem Cell Sciences, commented, "Two of the largest issues facing companies working in the stem cell field are first, creating and growing consistently pure populations of human stem cells as a basis for further medical and pharmaceutical research; and second, avoiding using human embryos from which to generate those stem cells. We believe that, through this new licence with Cambridge Enterprise and other intellectual property to which we have exclusive access, Stem Cell Sciences has the ability to successfully overcome these issues and to drive future stem cell technology developments forward both from an academic and commercial perspective. We are therefore very pleased to continue our excellent relationship with Professor Smith in this way." 

Dr Iain Thomas, Head of Life Sciences, Cambridge Enterprise, said, "We are delighted to be working with both Professor Austin Smith and Stem Cell Sciences to commercialise this technology, which has the real potential to revolutionise stem cell research and contribute to the development of new therapies." 

ENDS

For further information, please contact:

Stem Cell Sciences plc (United Kingdom)

Alastair Riddell, CEO

Tim Allsopp, Chief Scientific Officer

[phone]

Stem Cell Sciences pty ltd (Australia)

Paul Bello, Operations Manager

[phone]

Citigate Dewe Rogerson (United Kingdom)
Mark Swallow / Emma Palmer Foster / Amber Bielecka
[phone]

Cambridge Enterprise Ltd (United Kingdom)

Shirley Jamieson, Head of Marketing  

[phone] 

[e-mail]

Talk Biotech (Australia)

Fay Weston, Director

[phone]

Daniel Stewart & Company (United Kingdom)

Simon Leathers / Simon Starr

[phone]

About Stem Cell Sciences plc

Stem Cell Sciences (SCS) is an international research and development company focusing on the commercial application of stem cell biology technologies for drug discovery and regenerative medicine research. Stem Cell Sciences is now focussing on building revenues through the sale of products, collaborative research and licensing deals with international biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.

Stem Cell Sciences has a substantial portfolio of patents and patent applications in both adult and embryonic stem cell fields. The Company has been active in the stem cell research field since 1994, principally focused on technologies to grow, differentiate, and purify adult and embryonic stem cells. These include technologies to permit the generation of highly purified stem cells and their differentiated progeny (specialised tissue cell types) for use in genetic, pharmacological and toxicological screens. Moreover, these technologies may be able to provide pure populations of appropriate cell types for transplantation therapies in the future.

The Company has its main research base and headquarters in Cambridge, UK with a second research base in Monash near Melbourne, Australia and a business development office in San Francisco, USA.

For further information on the company please visit:  www.stemcellsciences.com.

About Cambridge Enterprise Ltd, University of Cambridge 

Cambridge Enterprise Limited provides knowledge and technology commercialisation services to University staff and students. Services include intellectual property management, bespoke marketing, negotiation of technology licences and consultancy services. Additionally, Cambridge Enterprise provides specialist surgeries for new companies, one-to-one mentoring by experienced business people, and provides access to seed and venture capital through the Cambridge Enterprise Seed Funds and Cambridge Enterprise Venture Partners. 

On 1st December 2007 Cambridge Enterprise marked its first birthday as a limited company. During this first year the performance was solid in that 60 licences and 95 consultancy contracts were closed and the company assumed the management of a portfolio of 72 companies in which it holds equity. The turnover from technology and knowledge transfer was £6.0 million of which £5.3 million (88%) was returned to the University's academics and departments. 

Further information on Cambridge Enterprise can be found at:  www.enterprise.cam.ac.uk  

 

END

 

 

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