BioTime enters MTA with UC to make research-grade hES cell lines

Dec 23 2010

BioTime, Inc. (NYSE Amex: BTX) today announced a material transfer agreement (MTA) with the University of California (UC) system to make five research-grade human embryonic stem (hES) cell lines available to UC system researchers. These lines are genetically identical to a bank of GMP-compliant hES cell lines that will be made available to California-based researchers under a recent agreement between BioTime and the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). Institutions covered by the MTA include: University of California, Berkeley (Berkeley Stem Cell Center) , University of California, Davis (UC Davis Institute for Regenerative Cures), University of California, Irvine (Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center), University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA Broad Stem Cell Research Center), University of California, Merced (UC Merced Stem Cell Consortium), University of California, Riverside (UC Riverside Stem Cell Center) University of California, San Diego (UCSD Stem Cell Research Program), University of California, San Francisco (The Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCSF), University of California, Santa Barbara (Center for Stem Cell Biology & Engineering), University of California, Santa Cruz (Center for Biomolecular Science and Engineering), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, UC Davis Medical Center, UC Irvine Medical Center, UCLA Medical Center, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Olive View-UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center, UCSD Medical Center, and UCSF Medical Center. Employees of UC-system institutions who are interested in obtaining these cell lines for preclinical research are directed to BioTime's web site http://www.biotimeinc.com/CIRM2.htm for the relevant MTA containing an Implementing Letter.

This agreement follows a previously announced agreement with CIRM, the stem cell agency created when California voters supported a $3 billion funding measure for stem cell-related research and clinical translation. Through October 21, 2010, CIRM had approved more than 180 grants totaling more than $540,000,000 for projects being conducted in the UC system.

Under BioTime's agreement with CIRM, BioTime will initially provide research grade cell lines, and within one year, if requested, BioTime will also make available GMP-grade cell lines along with certain documentation and complete genomic DNA sequence information. The use of the GMP grade cell lines may streamline the translation of basic science to human therapies. Should the users of the cell lines and BioTime eventually sign definitive license agreements for commercial use of the cell lines, it is anticipated that BioTime will receive a royalty on net sales. Today's announced MTA with the University of California System relates to the initial research-grade cell lines and is intended to simplify the distribution of researchers in the UC system.