International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT) Joins Forces With Roche and Genzyme to Launch Cell Therapy Industry Partnership

Vancouver, August 16, 2010 (ots/PRNewswire) - Many companies in the cell
therapy regenerative medicine market including Roche, Genzyme,
Athersys, Miltenyi Biotec, Hospira, Lonza and Life Technologies will
join ISCT to launch a series of new initiatives that will create
greater strategic alignment within the industry and drive late stage
clinical development.

The ISCT Industry Task Force (ITF), comprising these major
corporations along with internationally renowned clinicians and
academics in cell therapy translation, rolled out a series of
recommendations to re-charter the ISCT Commercialization Committee to
drive the creation of forums for discussion of shared concerns on
process and product development, business models, and clinical
development, and to catalyze the development of consensus standards.

"Working in partnership to develop standards around cell
characterization and potency as well as treatment approaches and
trial endpoint design we aim to facilitate entry into the cell
therapy space for large healthcare and pharmaceutical companies,
those members of the industry most reliably able to initiate and
maintain advanced phase clinical trials. Ultimately, this will
expedite the maturation of the field and bring cell therapy
treatments to patients faster," said Ed Horwitz, M.D., President of
ISCT.

These companies remain engaged with ISCT as members on the
commercialization committee to drive this agenda forward and are
participating in the roll out of the first initiative to add value in
the relationship between ISCT and Industry - the new ISCT Industry
Community.

The community offers access to key opinion leaders in cell
therapy translation including regulatory, scientific, process
development and clinical experts through focus group participation,
and will drive priorities on the development of resources and
initiatives to remove key obstacles to commercialization.

"ISCT is the logical home base for industry stakeholders in the
translational medicine space. The commercialization committee is a
consortium of institutional, technology, regulatory and industry
thought leaders trying to move therapies out of phase I and II. It is
poised to be very influential in driving out standards for that
process," said Robert Deans, Senior VP Regenerative Medicine
Athersys, and Chair of the ISCT Commercialization Committee.

More information on the ISCT ITF recommendations and ISCT
Commercialization Committee 2010 deliverables on process and product
development, business models, industry education, clinical
development and new product introduction can be found at
http://www.celltherapysociety.org/index.php?page=industry

ISCT is a global association driving the translation of
scientific research to deliver innovative cellular therapies to
patients. Established in 1992, its membership and leadership
comprises world-class scientists, clinicians, technologists,
biotech/pharma and regulatory professionals from around the world
focused on pre-clinical and translational aspects of developing cell
therapy products.

For further information: For further information: Robert Deans,
Chair, ISCT Commercialization Committee, Senior VP of Regenerative
Medicine, Athersys, Inc, +1-216-526-2433 cell rdeans@athersys.com;
Jane Arthurs, ISCT Executive Director, +1-604-630-5495,
Jane@celltherapysociety.org

ots Originaltext: International Society for Cellular Therapy
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Contact:
CONTACT: For further information: For further information: Robert
Deans,Chair, ISCT Commercialization Committee, Senior VP of
RegenerativeMedicine, Athersys, Inc, +1-216-526-2433 cell
rdeans@athersys.com; JaneArthurs, ISCT Executive Director,
+1-604-630-5495,Jane@celltherapysociety.org