Beike Biotechnology, Jiangsu University and Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Receive $1.8 Million for Human Mesenchymal Stem Cell R&D and Clinical Trials

TAIZHOU, China, Jan. 8 The Jiangsu Government'sScience and Technology Department has announced a $1.8 million grant - theJiangsu Technological Achievements Transformational Grant - to support theresearch and development of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell(hUC-MSC) technologies. The grant recipient and administrator, Shenzhen BeikeBiotechnology Co., Ltd. (http://www.beikebiotech.com ), is working withJiangsu University and Nanjing University's Drum Tower Hospital to fulfill thegrant's requirements.

This grant marks the start of the second stage of Beike's stem cellengineering industrialization project. The project's first phase began in May2008, when Beike opened a 1,800 square-meter stem cell bank in Taizhou's ChinaMedical City district. In the second phase, the bank will be used as a libraryfor storing and indexing hUC-MSC samples. In April 2009, Beike broke ground onits 20,000 square-meter Stem Cell Regenerative Medicine Industrial Complex,the world's largest stem cell storage and processing facility. Beike will usea portion of the Jiangsu Technological Achievements Transformational Grant tooutfit this complex with over 80 specialized pieces of equipment includingfully automated enzyme immunoassay analysis systems, carbon dioxide incubators,and cell viability analyzers.

The grant's three-year objectives are to systematically develop hUC-MSCtechnology and its medical application from "bench-to-bedside" - fromharvesting, to laboratory modeling, through clinical trials, and finallyclinical applications in treating Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), MultipleSclerosis (MS) and other degenerative diseases. In support of this effort,Beike will provide the facilities, equipment, management framework and certainproprietary clinical stem cell technologies for the project. NanjingUniversity Medical School's renowned Drum Tower Hospital will be responsiblefor administering the human trials while Jiangsu University will bring itsvast biological research and development resources to the production andanimal study phases of the project.

Dr. Sean Hu, CEO and Chairman of Beike Biotechnology, commented on thecollaboration saying, "As Asia's leader in stem cell technology and itsapplications, Beike is proud to partner with two of Jiangsu's top medicaluniversities - both already established as leaders in stem cell technology andapplication. I am confident that with continued support from both JiangsuProvince and China's government, this collaboration will continue to producegroundbreaking work in the field of stem cells."

The Drum Tower Hospital will be responsible for the human clinical trialsenlisting 200 patients. Dr. Sun Lingyun, the Director of the Hospital'sRheumatology and Immunology Department, will direct the 140-patient SystemicLupus Erythematosus clinical trial while Dr. Xu Yun, Director of theHospital's Neurology Department, will oversee the 60-patient MultipleSclerosis trial.

"I have been studying stem cells since 1997 and have seen their healingpotential in animal studies and in human subjects," stated Dr. Sun, commentingon his previous experience with stem cells. "This grant will help solidifyChina Medical City as one of the primary hubs for stem cell technologyresearch. The studies conducted under this grant will be groundbreaking in thelarge number of patients they include."

Dr. Sun Lingyun has worked extensively with stem cell technology both inthe laboratory and clinically. This project will build on his earlierpublication in the journal Stem Cells, entitled "Mesenchymal Stem CellTransplantation Reverses Multi-Organ Dysfunction in Systemic LupusErythematosus in Mice and Humans."

With encouraging outcomes already apparent for MS and SLE, JiangsuUniversity's next task will be to create animal models for testing hUC-MSCspotential in other disorders such as brain injury, spinal cord injury, liverdisease and kidney damage. Jiangsu University has already made advances inhUC-MSC separation, detection, purification, amplification and quality control.As part of this grant, the university will be researching hUC-MSC growth,differentiation characteristics, identification standards and serum-freemedium studies.

About China Medical City

Jiangsu Province is the number one location for China's medical industrybased on the revenue generated over the past five years. The city of Taizhouis fast becoming Jiangsu's leading biotech location, with over 35% annualgrowth since 2004. China Medical City enjoys a prime 25-square kilometerlocation in the heart of Taizhou City. The district was established by theChinese Government in 2005 and has active support from the local government.It embodies China's goal of streamlining the pharmaceutical and medicalmaterials industry by concentrating all medical services and support in onecentral location.

About Beike Biotechnology Company Limited

Beike Biotechnology (http://www.beikebiotech.com ) is China's leadingbiotechnology company. Its scientists have been focused on the development andcommercialization of adult stem cell therapies since 1999. The companycurrently produces a full line of stem cell products from umbilical cord, cordblood, and bone marrow stem cells. Beike's unique processing technologiesprepare the cells for use in treating a variety of serious medical conditionsincluding ataxia, brain injury, cerebral palsy, diabetic foot disease, lowerlimb ischemia, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, spinal cord injury, andoptic nerve pathologies.For more information, please contact: T. Gutmann Shenzhen Beike Biotechnology Company, Ltd. Shenzhen Hi-Tech Industrial Park Tel: +86-755-8630-9200 Email: info@beikebiotech.com Web: http://www.beikebiotech.com

SOURCE Beike Biotechnology Company Limited