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CALIFORNIA STEM CELL AGENCY SENDS OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES REGARDING FUNDING FOR STEM CELL RESEARCH SAN DIEGO, Calif., September 25, 2008 - Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared Sept. 25 to be Stem Cell Awareness Day. In the proclamation he said, "The discoveries being made today in our Golden State will have a great impact on many around the world for generations to come." The full text of the proclamation can be seen here: http://www.gov.ca.gov/proclamation/10589/   Dr. Alan Trounson, president of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), the state stem cell agency, said that Stem Cell Awareness Day will help draw attention to science that will one day bring dramatic advances in human health. "The events on Stem Cell Awareness Day are designed to inform a broad audience of patients, clinicians, students and the general public about some of the many advances in the field that California is helping to accelerate through CIRM funding," he said.   To mark the day, Trounson and Robert Klein, Chairman of the Independent Citizen's Oversight Committee, co-signed an open letter to the presidential candidates regarding funding for stem cell research and biomedical research in general.    The letter reads:    "Today, California is marking Stem Cell Awareness Day. For the millions who suffer from incurable diseases and injury, today is a day to celebrate the scientific advances made to-date and be hopeful of what is yet to come.   The research being accelerated by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) could one day offer stem cell derived therapies and cures for more than 70 currently incurable diseases and injuries. But no single state can provide the level of funding or the political will that is needed to ensure the long term success of this vital medical research. Leadership and funding at the Federal level is desperately needed to ensure that we realize the benefits from what is one of the most promising fields of science in this century.   That is why we implore both Republican Sen. John McCain, and Democrat Sen. Barack Obama to commit their administration to sustained levels of funding for all biomedical research and in particular, to all types of stem cell research. We believe that if they answer this call to action, we will soon realize significant medical benefits for patients around the world and increase our ability to control health care costs here at home.   Earlier this month, a panel of experts convened by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences confirmed what stem cell researchers throughout the world know - that the use of embryonic stem cells is still necessary. They remain the gold standard. As the expert panel, chaired by Richard Hynes of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology stated "It is far from clear at this point which types cell types will prove to be the most useful for regenerative medicine, and it is likely that each will have some utility."   By fully capitalizing on this area of scientific research, we have a chance to develop therapies and cures for a long list of serious diseases, injuries and genetic conditions, from cancer to spinal cord injury to Alzheimer's, and an opportunity to restore quality of life for these patients and their families. We also have an opportunity to save billions of dollars we now spend on lost productivity and medical care for these patients. Stem cell research also holds promise for developing powerful environmental toxicity tests, drug screening, and patient diagnostic tests that can help save lives and eliminate serious potential roadblocks on the road to faster, more effective clinical trials for all kinds of intractable conditions.   California is making a bold investment in the promise of stem cell research, but it is up to the new leadership in Washington to ensure we capitalize on the full potential this science holds for us all."   Sincerely,   Alan Trounsan President                      CIRM    Robert Klein Chairman Independent Citizen's Oversight Committee

The President of the Karolinska Institute, Dr. Harriet Wallberg-Henriksson Joins the Scientific and Medical Advisory Board of Cellastra, a California Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Company August 12, 2008-San Francisco, California- Cellastra Inc., a pioneering stem cell engineering and therapeutics company, today announced the appointment of Harriet Wallberg-Henriksson, MD, PhD, President of the Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden to its Scientific and Medical Advisory Board.    Dr. Henriksson’s inclusion in Cellastra’s advisory board is part of Cellastra’s strategy to work with scientific and medical leaders around the world to help expand clinical applications of pluripotent, especially embryonic stem cells.    Professor Harriet Wallberg-Henriksson has been President of Karolinska Institutet since 2004. She is a member of Karolinska Institutet´s Nobel Assembly, which selects the winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine every year. Harriet Wallberg-Henriksson was appointed President after over 25 years at Karolinska Institutet, one of Europe’s largest and one of the highest ranking medical universities in the world.    Cellastra  Inc.  is an innovative stem cell company focused on developing the highest quality, xeno-free (i.e. containing no foreign contaminants), clinical grade and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) quality pluripotent stem cell lines and stem cell derived therapeutics. Cellastra’s technology is developed in collaboration with its co-founder Dr. Outi Hovatta, MD, PhD, Professor at the Karolinska Institutet and the Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Sweden. Dr. Hovatta is an internationally renowned stem cell expert with pioneering research on stem cell cultivation, stem cell engineering and therapeutics development.    The alliance with Dr. Wallberg-Henriksson further strengthens Cellastra’s plans for technological and scientific exchange and collaboration between Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and Cellastra in California. The California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM)  has recently initiated a 10 year grant and loan program  with more than USD 3 billion made available to support pluripotent/embryonic stem cell research in institutions and companies located in California . “We are extremely honored and excited to strengthen the bridges between Sweden and California at this unique time by appointing Dr. Wallberg-Henriksson to Cellastra’s Advisory board,” said Dr. Neerja Sethi, CEO and co-founder of Cellastra Inc.    Dr Sethi added that “Cellastra takes pride in developing the highest quality pluripotent and embryonic stem cell lines and related technologies to help catapult the field of stem cell research into the era of biomedical and clinical applications.”     About Cellastra CELLASTRA Inc. is a Stem Cell Therapeutics and Pharmacogenomics company that aims to develop, patent and commercialize innovative, cutting-edge technologies for developing human pluripotent/embryonic stem cells based therapeutics and research tools.  CELLASTRA’s technology platform has clinical and market potential for multiple diseases with unmet needs. These include diabetes, spinal cord injuries, Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, cardiovascular ailments, liver ailments, organ replacements, cancer, blood disorders and other applications of tissue regeneration. CELLASTRA is currently in a unique leadership position in stem cell engineering field in having access to the highest clinical quality, xeno-free (free of animal additions and contaminations), pharmaceutical level, Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) grade, human embryonic/pluripotent stem cell lines and the related technologies. Cellastra is headquartered in San Francisco, California. Visit www.cellastra.com

GlaxoSmithKline and the Harvard Stem Cell Institute Announce a Unique Collaboration in Stem Cell Science to Enable the Discovery of New Medicines -- Industry and academia link up in pioneering agreement--   GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and the Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) announced that they have entered into a five-year, $25 million-plus collaborative agreement to build a unique alliance in stem cell science, leading to the development of new medicines.   GSK’s investment, one of the largest by a pharmaceutical company in stem cell science, will support innovative research at Harvard University and in at least four Harvard-affiliated hospitals in the areas of neuroscience, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, musculoskeletal diseases and obesity. In addition, GSK will fund an annual grant, which supports early stage research in stem cell biology, as part of HSCI’s seed grant program   This agreement marks the beginning of an exciting collaboration with multiple researchers at multiple Harvard institutions, making it possible for academic and industrial scientists to work side-by-side to develop treatments in areas of unmet medical need.   “GSK believes stem cell science has great potential to aid the discovery of new medicines by improving the screening, identification and development of new compounds. We have carefully chosen the Boston biomedical community to collaborate with on this important venture. It has the highest concentration of leading stem cell scientists, and the Harvard Stem Cell Institute is the epicentre of that community,” said Patrick Vallance, Head of Drug Discovery at GSK.   The collaboration aims to integrate HSCI’s world-class stem cell expertise with GSK’s pharmaceutical capabilities to drive advances in drug discovery research. This will include, for example, a staff exchange programme where HSCI and GSK researchers will spend up to several months in each other’s laboratories. The collaboration will be overseen by a joint steering committee made up of HSCI and GSK scientists and managers.   “This is an exciting, extremely significant moment in the history of HSCI,” said Brock Reeve, the Stem Cell Institute’s Executive Director. “This kind of collaborative alliance with GlaxoSmithKline, one of the world's leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies, will allow the Harvard Stem Cell Institute to ultimately fulfil its promise of advancing stem cell science to benefit patients.”   GlaxoSmithKline – one of the world’s leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies – is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer.  For more information, visit www.gsk.com.   Harvard Stem Cell Institute – The Harvard Stem Cell Institute is a scientific collaborative within Harvard University and its affiliated hospitals, established to fulfill the promise of stem cell biology as a basis for cures and treatments for a wide range of chronic and medical conditions. HSCI takes a broad approach, focusing not only on stem cell science, but also on teacher education and programs in bioethics and in the public policy issues generated by stem cell research. For more information, visit www.hsci.harvard.edu.   Source: GSK Press Release

$24 Million in New Stem Cell Research Funding Awarded to 25 California Institutions   Grants to Help Create New Stem Cell Lines and Drive Research on Specific Diseases   SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., June 27, 2008—The governing board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), the state’s stem cell agency, today awarded $24 million under two separate grant programs; one that will fund research for the development of new lines of pluripotent human stem cells, and the other that will fund the planning stages of an innovative model for research teams that will collaborate on therapies for a specific disease or injury.   New Cell Lines Awards The CIRM New Cell Lines Awards support the derivation and propagation of new lines of pluripotent human stem cells with important research and clinical application for understanding, diagnosing and treating serious injury and disease. $23 million in funding for a total of 16 grants were approved at today’s meeting. The New Cell Lines Awards support two categories of research and give particular consideration to research that cannot be currently funded by federal programs: - Derivation of new human embryonic stem cell lines using excess or rejected early-stage human embryos generated by in vitro fertilization.   - Derivation of pluripotent human stem cell lines from other sources using alternative methods such as, but not limited to, somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) or reprogramming of neonatal or adult cells (iPS cells).   To ensure that research moves forward in all of the areas that have potential to deliver medical advances to patients, the grants support research across the spectrum of approaches used to derive pluripotent stem cell lines, including the well-established means of human embryonic stem cells, which remain the gold standard for research into pluripotent cells, as well as new technologies such as iPS. “Ultimately, our goal is to apply the knowledge gained in basic research towards treatments and cures for patients” stated Dr. Alan Trounson, president of CIRM. “Pluripotent stem cells play a key  role in developing stem-cell based therapies because of their unique ability to renew themselves and their potential to form almost all of the cell types of the body. As such, derivation of new human embryonic stem cell lines is a priority for both basic and translational research that could be the foundation for advancing new therapies.”   Disease Team Planning Grants Separately, the ICOC awarded 22 grants totaling $1.1 million to support multi-disciplinary teams of scientists in pursuit of therapies for specific diseases. The Disease Team Planning grants provide relatively modest grants to scientists who will use the funds to assemble multi-disciplinary teams that will help prepare proposals that can respond to an upcoming request for proposals for major grants for translational research that could lead to clinical trials. Ultimately, the goal is to fund the work of disease teams that would result in a therapy or diagnostic for a particular disease or serious injury.   The CIRM Disease Team Award Request for Application (RFA) will be posted in March and considered by the ICOC in June 2009. The goal of these awards is to facilitate the integration and organization of the highest quality basic, translational, and clinical research in a team setting. This innovative disease team approach has the potential to advance therapies into the clinic more rapidly. Receipt of a Disease Team Planning Grants is not a requirement for applying for a Disease Team Award. “Since CIRM began making grants in 2006, we have been steadily advancing a scientific strategic plan, through a combination of research, training and facility grants, that establishes California as one of the most comprehensive and robust stem cell research environments in the world” stated Robert N. Klein, chairman of the governing board of CIRM. “The grants awarded today play a tremendously important role in advancing our ultimate goal of delivering new therapies and cures to Californians afflicted with a range of devastating diseases and injuries.”   Other ICOC Business In other business, Chairman Klein read into the record an official thanks to the State Controller’s Office for the partnership they have extended in working with the staff at CIRM to distribute $195 million in funding of the CIRM Major Facilities grants. Earlier in the week, these funds were distributed to the eight institutions that opted to receive their funding this summer with a nine percent reduction, rather than spreading their funding over the two years it will take to build the facilities. Chairman Klein stated, “John Chiang, the state Controller, and his staff demonstrated how government can perform at its best. In recognizing how critical these research facilities are to advancing medical therapies for heart disease, blindness, diabetes, cancer and 70 other areas of chronic disease and injury, the Controller’s office clearly cut substantial time out of the normal payment process to accelerate the building of these vital medical facilities.” Additionally, the ICOC voted to approve a new concept plan for a Translational 1 RFA for research that enables translation of basic stem cell research to potential clinical application. This award will support two types of early translational research including research that results in a therapy development candidate that meets an unmet medical need, and research that addresses a significant bottleneck that, if overcome, would advance effective translation of discoveries towards testing in patients. The Translational 1 RFA will be released in August 2008, with applications due in November 2008 and awarded in the Winter/Spring of 2009.   The tables below detail the grants approved at today’s ICOC meeting:                                 New Cell Lines Awards Application Number Institution PI Name First Year Total Total Budget RL1-00630-1 Stanford University Dr. Julie C. Baker $474,804 $1,424,412 RL1-00634-1 Stanford University Professor Michele P. Calos $464,418 $1,406,875 RL1-00636-1 University of California, Los Angeles Dr. Amander T. Clark $390,048 $1,177,648 RL1-00639-1 The J. David Gladstone Institutes Dr. Bruce R. Conklin $569,520 $1,708,560 RL1-00644-1 University of California, San Diego Dr. Steven F. Dowdy $462,600 $1,387,800 RL1-00648-1 University of California, San Francisco Dr. Susan J. Fisher $462,372 $1,383,419 RL1-00650-1 The J. David Gladstone Institutes Dr. Fen-Biao Gao $569,520 $1,708,560 RL1-00660-1 University of California, San Francisco Dr. Long-Cheng Li $453,288 $1,375,144 RL1-00662-1 Stanford University Professor Michael T. Longaker $474,804 $1,424,412 RL1-00667-1 University of Southern California Professor Martin Frederick Pera $490,258 $1,387,508 RL1-00669-1 University of California, San Francisco Dr. Miguel Ramalho-Santos $417,695 $1,307,201 RL1-00670-1 Stanford University Professor Renee Reijo Pera $470,245 $1,410,042 RL1-00681-1 University of California, Los Angeles Dr. Jerome Zack $460,800 $1,382,400 RL1-00682-1 Burnham Institute for Medical Research Dr. Zhuohua Zhang $529,920 $1,589,760 RL1-00649-1 The Salk Institute for Biological Studies Professor Fred H. Gage III $579,240 $1,737,720 RL1-00678-1 University of California, Irvine Professor Leslie Michels Thompson $455,400 $1,369,800 Total $23,181,261   Disease                       Disease Team Planning Awards Application Number Institution PI Name Total Budget DT1-00652-1 University of California, San Francisco Dr. Jeffrey Allen Bluestone $55,000 DT1-00653-1 University of Southern California Dr. David Timothy Woodley $42,574 DT1-00656-1 University of California, San Francisco Dr. Jeffrey Charles Lotz $55,000 DT1-00657-1 University of Southern California Dr. Mark S Humayun $50,001 DT1-00659-1 The Salk Institute for Biological Studies Samuel L. Pfaff $54,798 DT1-00669-1 University of California, Los Angeles Dr. Stanley Thomas Carmichael $44,792 DT1-00671-1 The J. David Gladstone Institutes Dr. Deepak Srivastava $53,972 DT1-00672-1 Novocell, Inc. Dr. Emmanuel Edward Baetge $48,950 DT1-00674-1 Stanford University Dr. Thomas A. Rando $52,650 DT1-00675-1 University of California, San Diego Dr. Lawrence S. B. Goldstein $55,000 DT1-00683-1 University of California, Los Angeles Professor Irvin S.Y. Chen $52,500 DT1-00688-1 Buck Institute for Age Research Dr. Xianmin Zeng $55,000 DT1-00690-1 University of California, Irvine Dr. Henry John Klassen $37,367 DT1-00696-1 Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Dr. Webster K. Cavenee $55,000 DT1-00697-1 Children's Hospital Oakland Mark Walters $55,000 DT1-00698-1