Full Press Release Details
Orgenesis to Collaborate with the Global Stem Cell &
Regenerative Medicine Acceleration Center of Korea
Seoul, South Korea Apr. 7, 2015 Orgenesis Ltd., a
wholly-owned subsidiary of Orgenesis Inc. (OTCQB: ORGS) a cell
therapy and regenerative medicine company with a novel therapeutic technology
dedicated to converting a patient's own liver cells into functioning
insulin-producing cells as a treatment for diabetes, today announced it has
signed a collaboration (MOU) with the Global Stem Cell & Regenerative
Medicine Acceleration Center (GSRAC) commissioned by Ministry of Health and
Korea is global leader in cell therapy and is a gateway for
all of Asia, said Vered Caplan, Chairperson and CEO of Orgenesis. GSRAC of
Korea is on the front lines of advancing scientific and technological progress
to accelerate the development of regenerative technology into medical solutions.
We are honored and grateful for their support and are hopeful we can contribute
to the continued success of Korea in this field.
So Ra Park (Professor, Inha University College of Medicine),
the head of GSRAC states: GSRAC has invested much effort in identifying
regenerative areas that are of maximum potential for Korea s growth and
expansion, and for establishing the optimal frameworks of support for
technologies that are applicable to these fields. We believe that Orgenesis fits
well into this framework and view this as a test case of such support. We hope
to work closely with management in establishing such support systems .
The MOU spans three years and provide a framework of
collaborative research in stem cell and regenerative medicine. It will also
provide an innovative platform allowing global network expansion and technology
exchange. This strategic alliance with a leading foreign regenerative medicine
company is expected to promote technologies innovations and industry growth in
GSRAC was established in December 2011
commissioned by the Ministry Of Health and Welfare (MOHW) of Korea. As a
strategic think-tank, GSRAC is dedicated in the acceleration of delivering
innovative technologies to patients suffering from currently untreatable
diseases by resolving various challenges in the field of stem cell &
regenerative medicine. To build a rigorous foundation and future visions for the
stem cell & regenerative medicine industry, GSRAC has assembled an
experienced team of industry experts, scientists, clinicians, policy makers and
government representatives. GSRAC forms a global network of opinion leaders from
the private and public sectors in order to transform ideas into action and stay
ahead of scientific & technological innovation and its translation into
medical solutions improving human health. At the heart of the GSRAC is the
principle that all the scientific and technological advances may have a true
value if they can contribute to improving human health and even social &
economic prosperity by solving near and long-term healthcare problems well
beyond scientific progress per se. For more information visit: www.gsrac.org.
About Orgenesis, Inc.
Orgenesis is a pre-clinical
cell therapy and regenerative medicine company that is committed to curing Type
1 Diabetes. In pursuit of this goal, the company has developed and patented a
novel technology called cellular trans-differentiation that turns an
insulin-dependent patient's own liver cells into functional insulin producing
cells. Orgenesis has proven that, when exposed ex-vivo to certain pancreatic
transcription factors and in specific sequence, human adult liver cells can be
transformed into fully functional, beta cell-like insulin producing cells
(IPCs). After ex-vivo expansion, the IPCs are re-infused via the portal vein of
the diabetic patient. In pre-clinical models of Type 1 Diabetes (Non-Obese
Diabetic mice), the re-introduced IPCs remain in the liver, effectively respond
to glucose challenge and successfully maintain glycemic homeostasis. In the same
NOD model, the implanted IPCs were not subject to auto-immune attack or cellular
ablation. Orgenesis plans to initiate P1/2 trials in the next 12-18 months.
Orgenesis believes that converting the diabetic patient's own tissue into
insulin-producing cells has the potential to overcome the significant issues of
donor shortage, cost and exposure to chronic immunosuppressive therapy
associated with islet cell transplantation. For more information, visit
Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
news release contains "forward-looking statements" which are not purely
historical. Such forward-looking statements include, among other things, the
expectations of management that our regeneration technology can be developed as
therapeutic treatment for diabetes which could, if successful, mean the end of
diabetes as we know it; that we will initiate Phase I and Phase II clinical
trials in the United States in the near-term; that we can quickly transition our
technology from research into P1 clinical trials. No assurance can be given that
any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will occur or,
if they do occur, what benefits Orgenesis will obtain from them. Actual results
could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to
numerous factors, including, among others, the potential failure of development
candidates to advance through preclinical studies or demonstrate safety and
efficacy in clinical testing; the ability to pass clinical trials so as to move
on to the next phase; our ability to retain key employees; our ability to
finance development and operations; our ability to satisfy the rigorous
regulatory requirements for new medical procedures; and competitors may develop
better or cheaper alternatives to our products. These forward-looking statements
are made as of the date of this news release, and we assume no obligation to
update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual
results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements.
Investors should refer to the risk factors disclosure outlined in our periodic
reports filed from time-to-time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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