Roslin Cells Ltd has reached an agreement with Pfizer Inc giving the US multinational access to its pluripotent stem cell lines with a view to assessing their potential for specific clinical therapies. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Advanced Cell Technology Inc has announced the dosing of the first patients in each of its two Phase 1/2 clinical trials for eye disorders using retinal pigment epithelial cells derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs).
A new method for deriving induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from blood samples has been described in the journal, Blood. According to the authors, the approach could provide a new source of patient-specific cells for disease research and drug discovery.
Sanofi SA has entered into a two-year research collaboration with a small Netherlands-based company, Audion Therapeutics BV, to develop potential treatments for hearing loss by targeting progenitor cells in the inner ear with small molecule compounds.
ReNeuron Group Plc has upgraded its collaboration with the Schepens Eye Research Institute in the US with the signing of a patent and licensing deal giving it rights to develop and commercialise human retinal precursor cells (hRPCs).
In a major advance for personalised medicine, the UK Human Tissue Authority has authorised a new stem cell banking service that will extract adult stem cells from human blood samples and store them for up to 20 years for use against future disease.
TiGenix NV of Belgium has raised €15.2 million in a rights issue, putting the finishing touches on a merger with Cellerix SA of Spain to create a new, larger company focused on cell-based therapeutics. The issue was fully subscribed.
Shire Plc has announced an agreement to acquire the privately-held US regenerative medicines company, Advanced BioHealing Inc, for $750 million in cash. The US company has a marketed product for diabetic foot ulcers.
Researchers from the Schepens Eye Research Institute in the US have reported regenerating retinal tissue in mice using induced pluripotent stem cells derived from mouse skin. The institute is an affiliate of the Harvard Medical School.
Takeda Ventures Inc, the corporate venture arm of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, is the latest venture fund to invest in Fate Therapeutics Inc which is developing compounds that modulate stem-cell pathways. Financial details were not disclosed.