i think we have a rather unique situation here w/KOOL. we just have to wait until they get 'noticed' by more investors. this today...stock trading around 2 7/8 by 3.00...52w h/l is 4.56/1.47:
Korean Stem Cell Institute Chooses THERMOGENESIS' BioArchive System for Their Cord Blood Bank
RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif.--(BW HealthWire)--Sept. 20, 2000-- THERMOGENESIS CORP. (Nasdaq:KOOL - news) announced today that the Company received an order for a BioArchive® system from Medipost Cryo-Stem Cell Institute located in Kyungki-do, South Korea. BioArchive Systems are currently in use at the major cord blood banks in the countries of Japan, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Germany, Spain, Finland, U.K., Belgium and the U.S. The BioArchive System is demonstrably the international standard for collecting, processing and archiving cryopreserved hematopoietic stem cells.
Sung Hun Lee, General Manager of the new Cord Blood Bank, said, ``...we are convinced that the THERMOGENESIS CORP. BioArchive System represents the future for the processing and storage of stem cells from placental cord blood.''
Dr. James Godsey, President and COO of the Company, stated, ``This will be the first BioArchive System to be installed in Korea. We are pleased that the Medipost Cryo-Stem Cell Institute has chosen the BioArchive System for their cord blood processing and storage program. Placement of the BioArchive System at the premier stem cell bank in Korea moves the Company one country closer to its goal of establishing a global network of national cord blood bank programs which have adopted the BioArchive System as their standard.''
According to Philip Coelho, Chairman and CEO of the Company, ``Recent research suggests that there are stem cells in a unit of cord blood that have the potential to produce other cells outside the hematopoietic system such as neural, liver and bone cells. Since there are serious ethical issues with sourcing stem cells from embryos and fetuses, scientists may begin to focus on cord blood as a superior, non-controversial source for these multi-potential stem cells.''
The BioArchive System plays a key role in the emerging world standards that are being adopted for the processing and validation of stem cell units. It uses a computer-driven robotic system to archive up to 3,626 PCB stem cell units in -196 degrees C liquid nitrogen that have been collected and processed in proprietary sterile plastic bag sets. The BioArchive System performs a precise controlled-rate freeze, tracks identification and archive location and performs robotic storage and retrieval of each unique tissue-typed PCB unit for use in life-saving transplantation. A specialized transfusion bag set is used to administer the stem cells to the patient. The BioArchive System can freeze, place and retrieve samples within liquid nitrogen without exposing the samples to detrimental transient warming events (TWE) which can reduce cell viability. PCB stem cells are used to reconstitute the hematopoietic and immune systems of patients who have undergone high-dose chemotherapy and radiation to combat diseases such as leukemias, lymphomas, diverse inherited anemias and hypoproliferative stem cell disorders.
Regulatory Status
The BioArchive System is a Class II exempt blood component freezer, and has initially been distributed in the U.S. only to IND sites which have received FDA approvals for use with stem cell storage for transplant into unrelated patients. The BioArchive System has potential applications involving archiving, storing, managing and retrieving other kinds of biological specimens, that may include peripheral blood-derived stem-cells, cell lines, male sperm cells, female eggs, heart valves, corneas, virus samples, biopsy samples and other blood, tissue and saliva samples. The BioArchive System is currently intended for preservation of blood components and blood products and would require FDA 510(k) clearance for some additional claims.
About THERMOGENESIS CORP.
THERMOGENESIS CORP. has been a pioneer in designing, manufacturing and distributing equipment to collect cryopreserve and archive highly sensitive blood products and biological tissue for more than 10 years. |
