Beike Biotechnology, Jiangsu government's CMC open world's largest stem cell management center

May 12 2010

Beike Biotechnology Co. Ltd., one of the world's leading biotechnology companies focusing on adult stem cell therapies, and the Jiangsu government's China Medical City (CMC) opened China's state-of-the-art stem cell storage and processing facility today. The 20,000 square-meter Stem Cell Regenerative Medicine Industrial Project of National Bio-Industry Base (NBPD) houses China's first comprehensive regenerative medicine technology center and its largest international stem cell bank.

The Stem Cell Regenerative Medicine Industrial Facility gives Beike the capacity to store and process 1 million copies of stem cells, making it the largest and most sophisticated stem cell processing center of its kind in the world. The visionary leadership of the Jiangsu Government and Beike set the stage for this advancement when the partnership broke ground on the project one year ago. The NBPD facility is part of multi-stage project that consists of industry partnerships designed to provide a central research zone for China's regenerative medicine and bio-medical industry. Groups collaborating on this biotechnology incubation center include those from Fudan University, Huazhong Science and Technology University, Nanjing University Medical School, Jiangsu University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Jiangsu Provincial People's Hospital.

"Stem cells are the crown jewel of medical research," said Dr. Ying Song, the center's newly appointed VP for Medical, Scientific and Regulatory Affairs. "We are honored China Medical City has chosen Beike as a partner to support China's role as a world leader in stem cell technology. Scientists all over the world -- not just in China but in places like the U.S. and other developed Western countries -- are engaged in the same work we are here in China Medical City. We believe our work will serve as a model for them as we conduct this important research designed to bring life-changing stem cell therapies to patients."

Dr. Song described the mission of the new center as aggressive development of new, patented stem cell therapies along with the development of processes and protocols that follow stringent implementation of international quality benchmarks. He noted the center will have three main goals: adult stem cell collection and storage, establishment of processes and protocols based on international standards such as the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB), the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT) standards and ISO9001 certifications, and to patent and bring stem cell therapies to clinical practice.

Dr. Shengqin Ye, CEO of Jiangsu Beike Biotech, said Beike's recruitment of the world-renowned cyropreservation scientist, Dr. Ying Song, to serve as the center's Chief Scientific Officer is evidence of Beike's commitment to quality and safety. Dr. Ye said, "We are very pleased to have Dr. Song leading the charge to establish rigorous quality system and stem cell industrialization specifications. Dr. Song's wide breadth of expertise and experience in the United States are key assets as Beike refines stem cell banking protocols and conducts clinical trials."

In addition to his quality management and banking/tissue efforts, Dr. Song's work with Beike includes oversight and coordination of the company's R&D and publications. Prior to joining Beike, Dr. Song was Scientific Director of Xytex Research Inc., and Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery and Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics, at the Medical College of Georgia, in the United States. Dr. Song also managed surgery programs for the U.S. South Carolina based Organ Recovery Systems Inc. He earned his M.D. at Xuzhou Medical College, China, in 1983 and his Ph.D. in biophysics at the Medical Research Council, United Kingdom, in 1992. Dr. Song is extensively published in the fields of vitrification and tissue engineering, and is currently a member of the Editorial Board of Cryobiology.

The expansion of the Jiangsu Stem Cell Bank allows Beike to take an integrated approach to the development of stem cell therapies. The facility allows Beike's scientists and physicians to produce the highest quality stem cell therapies available in the world by providing processing, storage, and clinical application development within an amalgamated and efficient framework.

Qian Ling, Director of the Management Committee of China Medical City (CMC), noted, "The grand opening of the largest stem cell management center in the world; the Jiangsu Beike Biotech Stem Cell Bank here in the CMC, solidifies the CMC's position as a world center for biotechnology and regenerative medicine. Supremacy in all aspects of stem cell management and research is the foundation for our successful biotechnology development strategy."