New MultiCell/Thomas Jefferson University Research Collaboration to Evaluate Cell Lines for Hepatitis C Treatment
Thursday October 20, 8:30 am ET
LINCOLN, R.I.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 20, 2005--MultiCell Technologies, Inc. (OTCBB: MCET - News), announced today that the Company has entered into a research collaboration with Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia's premier medical and health sciences university, to evaluate the Company's immortalized human hepatocytes as model systems to identify new drugs to treat hepatitis C viral (HCV) infection.
There are an estimated 170 million people chronically infected with HCV (hepatitis C virus) worldwide who are at high risk for the development of chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. The lack of cell-based models capable of supporting infection and replication of HCV has hampered the identification of new drugs to treat HCV related diseases.
The collaborative studies will be directed by Dr. Mark Feitelson, a world renowned leader in viral hepatitis. "The recent discovery of a human liver tumor cell line that replicates the full length HCV genome provides the impetus for the collaboration with MultiCell," said Dr. Feitelson. "There is an urgent need for normal human hepatocyte cell lines that not only model the viral life cycle but also retain the capability to metabolize antiviral drugs."
MultiCell's Chief Science Officer, Dr. Ron Faris, said, "Successful completion of these studies will lead to the development of new high throughput assays (high speed drug testing kits) to screen for antiviral drugs using the Company's proprietary immortalized human hepatocytes."
About MultiCell Technologies, Inc.
MultiCell Technologies is a developer of therapies, an adult stem cell company and a supplier of immortalized cell lines for drug discovery applications. With its subsidiary, MultiCell Immunotherapeutics (MCTI), MultiCell intends to commercialize new therapeutics for the treatment of various diseases and disorders.
MultiCell holds key patents relating to novel strategies for the isolation of adult human liver cells, and cell clusters or doublets as well as additional patents in the areas of stem cell technology, the Sybiol(TM) synthetic bio-liver therapeutic liver assist device, and immortalized human hepatocytes. MultiCell's stem cells are derived from adult tissues, which avoids the ethical and contamination issues associated with embryonic stem cells. MultiCell's headquarters and research laboratories are at 701 George Washington Highway, Lincoln, Rhode Island 02865.
For more information about MultiCell see multicelltech.com.
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 for purposes of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "Act"). 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." MultiCell bases these forward-looking statements on current expectations about future events. 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 achieve expectations. 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 SEC filings. MultiCell claims the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements under the Act and 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.
Ed Lewis, 212-732-4300
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Source: MultiCell Technologies, Inc.
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