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Apr 10, 2007 08:18AM
Adult stem cell development company commencing clinical trials applicable to estimated $30 billion degenerative disease market place
Stem Cell Innovations Patents on Pluripotent Cells Cited by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as Prior Art, Pre-Dating the WARF and Thomson Core Embryonic Stem Cell Patents
HOUSTON, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 10, 2007 - Stem Cell Innovations (SCI) (OTCBB: SCLL), today announced its issued patents to pluripotent stem cells were used by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in rejecting the core ES cell patents issued to the Wisconsin Alumni Research Association (WARF) invented by James Thomson. The human embryonic stem cells of U.S. Patents Nos. 5,453,357 and 5,690,926 (licensed exclusively to Stem Cell Innovations) were stated by the United States Patent and Trademark Office to be "True ES Cells." The Patent Office also stated that Stem Cell Innovations U.S. Patent No. 5,690,926 "discloses the identical human embryonic stem cells as claimed by Thomson even though produced by different processes."
"It is gratifying to see the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office further recognize the pioneering work of Dr. Brigid Hogan, the inventor of the patents cited against the Patents to WARF and Thomson," said James H. Kelly, PhD, CEO of Stem Cell Innovations.
In addition to its issued patents, Stem Cell Innovations has pending applications covering additional inventions in the cited patents. Stem Cell Innovations also has more recently filed patent applications specifically covering its PluriCells(TM) . "If granted these patents will further strengthen SCI's already robust intellectual property position," said Kelly. "By securing a comprehensive portfolio of patents around PluriCells, Stem Cell Innovations is committed to ensuring industry and academia have access to this valuable stem cell technology. Our goal has always been to make our PluriCells widely available in a commercially reasonable manner that does not inhibit the progress of potential scientific breakthroughs. We have several scientific collaborations ongoing and several others in process."
About PluriCells(TM)
SCI is developing PluriCells, a new human stem cell technology derived from primordial germ cells of fetal tissue. PluriCells have several advantages over human embryonic stem (ES) cells. Because they are developed from fetal germ cells, not viable embryos, they are eligible to be used in any NIH funded laboratory. Stem cells derived from fetal germ cells were explicitly excluded from the Presidential ban by the Department of Health and Human Services guidance that laid out what type of stem cells could and could not be used in federally funded research.
Primordial germ cells are one of only two types of cells known to be able to produce all of the more than 200 cell types found in the human body. The primordial germ cells are the cells that eventually produce the sperm and the egg, passing the genome along to the next generation. Stem cell cultures generated from these cells are believed to have tremendous promise in advancing drug discovery and cell-based therapies for some of our most intractable health problems, such as neurodegenerative and cardiovascular disease.
SCI has established multiple human pluripotent stem cell lines from fetal gonadal tissue using defined conditions. These PluriCell lines have been established directly onto tissue culture plastic without the use of feeder layers or conditioned medium. In addition to the PluriCell technology, SCI has already established in vitro hepatocyte screening, kits, compositions, and services for compound toxicity testing, ACTIVTox(R) and PREDICTIVTox( TM).
About Stem Cell Innovations, Inc.
Stem Cell Innovation (SCI) is a cell biology company with offices in Scotch Plains , NJ , and facilities in Houston , TX , and Leiden , the Netherlands . SCI's proprietary, human pluripotent stem cells, known as PluriCells, have the potential to aid in drug discovery, toxicology, and cell therapy. The company is in the process of making its patented pluripotent cell lines, which are eligible for federal funding in the U.S. , widely available to universities and other not-for-profit institutions to rapidly advance stem cell research. Stem Cell Innovations is positioned to become a leading provider of toxicology testing and discovery systems for the pharmaceutical, chemical, and nutraceutical industries around the world. The development of the proprietary PluriCell technology greatly expands the Company's currently marketed ACTIVTox(R) human liver cell-based toxicology offerings. www.stemcellinnovat ions.com
ACTIVTox and PluriCells are trademarks of Stem Cell Innovations, Inc.
Forward Looking Statement
This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a "safe harbor" for forward looking statements. Forward-Looking statements are not statements of historical facts, but rather reflect our current expectations concerning future events and results. We use words such as "expects", "intends", "believes", "may", "will" and "anticipates" to indicate forward-looking statements. Because these forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, there are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, those risks and uncertainties detailed in the Company's periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We caution that these risk factors may not be exhaustive. We operate in a continually changing business environment, and new risk factors emerge from time to time. We cannot predict these new risk factors, nor can we assess the effect, if any, of the new risk factors on our business or the extent to which any factor or combination of factors may cause actual results to differ from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.
If any one or more or these expectations and assumptions proves incorrect, actual results will likely differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Even if all of the foregoing assumptions and expectations prove correct, actual results may still differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements as a result of factors we may not anticipate or that may be beyond our control. While we cannot assess the future impact that any of these differences could have on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows or the market price of shares of our common stock, the difference could be significant. We do not undertake to update any forward-looking statements made by us, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. You are cautioned.
Contact
Stem Cell Innovations
Dr. James H. Kelly, +1 281-679-7900
or
Ivo Piest, +31 71-711-8010 ( Europe )
or
CEOcast, Inc. for Stem Cell Innovations
Investor:
Andrew Hellman, 212-732-4300
or
Media:
Kathy Nugent 1-205-566-3038