MultiCell Receives SBIR Grant for Protein Development for Critically Needed Sepsis Treatment
Tuesday August 30, 8:00 am ET
LINCOLN, R.I.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 30, 2005--MultiCell Technologies, Inc. (OTCBB: MCET - News), a leading supplier of immortalized non-tumorigenic human hepatocytes, announces the receipt of a new Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award to create proprietary BioFactories(TM) that express a serine protease inhibitor recently implicated as a novel treatment for sepsis.
Sepsis is the leading cause of death in the non-cardiac intensive care unit and the tenth leading cause of death overall in the United States. Sepsis is a systematic and overwhelming response to infection. Once triggered, an uncontrolled cascade of coagulation, impaired fibrinolysis, and inflammation occur, causing further disease progression. This results in damage to the lungs, liver, kidney and cardiovascular system, leading to multiple organ failure, which is usually followed by death. Presently the best treatment for severe sepsis is Eli Lilly's Xigris, however this product only reduces the absolute risk of death by six percent. The annual cost to treat patients with severe sepsis in U.S. hospitals is nearly $17 billion.
MultiCell's highly functional, immortalized human hepatocytes naturally produce plasma proteins including inter-alpha-inhibitor proteins (I(alpha)Ip), serine protease inhibitors that have been found valuable as a treatment for sepsis in preclinical studies. Presently, the only source of I(alpha)Ip is to purify it from human plasma. The biochemical complexity and critical post-translation modifications of I(alpha)Ip preclude expressing the recombinant protein by conventional systems.
The goal of this Phase I SBIR project is to genetically engineer the Company's proprietary cell lines to express high levels of recombinant I(alpha)Ip that are biochemically identical to the native protein. If successful, the goal of the Phase II SBIR project will then be to create stable cell lines that express I(alpha)Ip and to scale up the production and purification of recombinant I(alpha)Ip for preclinical evaluation.
MultiCell's President, Dr. Stephen Chang, states, "Results from preclinical studies suggest that I(alpha)Ip therapy is a promising new approach to treat severe sepsis. Since our immortalized hepatocytes naturally produce this complex protease inhibitor we reason that our proprietary lines will be ideal to produce recombinant I(alpha)Ip."
About MultiCell
MultiCell holds patent-protected intellectual property in three main areas: the Xenogenics subsidiary's patented Sybiol(TM) synthetic bio-liver therapeutic liver assist device; immortalized hepatocytes, which are being sold through XenoTech, LLC, a licensee; and adult stem cells.
MultiCell holds two patents on novel strategies for isolation of adult human liver cells, and cell clusters or doublets, invented by Dr. Ronald A. Faris, Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of MultiCell and Director of Research with Rhode Island Hospital. Obtaining stem cells from adult tissues avoids the ethical issues and the contamination issues associated with embryonic or fetal stem cells. Liver stem cells may play a key role in transplantation for tissue regeneration and therapeutic use including the clinical management of metabolic liver disorders and heart disease as well as potential diagnostic applications. The use of liver stem cells to treat diseases such as Hepatitis may greatly enhance quality of life and avoid costly whole organ liver transplantation. MultiCell believes its patented stem cell techniques are unique within the cell therapy market.
MultiCell's headquarters and research laboratories are at 701 George Washington Highway, Lincoln, Rhode Island 02865. For more information about MultiCell and its Xenogenics subsidiary see www.multicelltech.com or call MultiCell at (401) 333-0610.
Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Any statements in this press release about MultiCell's expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not historical facts and are forward-looking statements. These statements are often, but not always, made through the use of words or phrases such as "believe," "will," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "intend," "plan," and "would." For example, statements concerning expected increases in use of MultiCell's functional immortalized hepatocytes and the use of liver assist devices are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance. They involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions that may cause actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by any forward-looking statement. Some of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from estimates or projections in the forward-looking statement include, but are not limited to, the risk that the market for our products will not grow as expected, and the risk that our products will not lower drug development costs. For additional information about risks and uncertainties we face, see documents we file with the SEC, including our Report on Form 10-KSB for the fiscal year ended November 30, 2004 and all our quarterly and other periodic filings made with the SEC. MultiCell assumes no obligation and expressly disclaims any duty to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this news release or to reflect the occurrence of subsequent events.
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Contact:
MultiCell Technologies, Inc.
Jerry Newmin, 401-333-0610
or
CEOcast, Inc. for MultiCell
Ed Lewis, 212-732-4300
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Source: MultiCell Technologies, Inc.
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