Vitrolife Receives Research Grant From VINNOVA For Development Of The Clinical Stem-Cell Media Of Tomorrow

Main Category: Stem Cell Research
Article Date: 18 Nov 2009 - 12:00 PST

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VINNOVA announced in a press release yesterday that they are going to provide support of SEK 3.6 million for Vitrolife's research project for optimized culture media to enable the clinical use of stem cells. "It is very pleasing news and will enable more intensive work in an area that we very much believe in for the future", says Magnus Nilsson, Vitrolife's CEO.

Stem-cell research addresses the core problems within the treatment of highly widespread diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, neurological diseases and diabetes. Today's methods rely on animal substances to support the growth, differentiation and genetic stability of stem cells. However, these limit the possibilities of using stem cells within clinical therapy, as the animal derivatives increase the risk of immunological reactions in transplantations. New research results within stem-cell therapy open up possibilities of more modern, more efficient and completely new methods of treatment.

"For many years we have successfully developed clinical media for assisted fertilization and our knowledge of cells' different needs and of how to optimize culture conditions means that we can see possibilities of more rapid development and reaching the market with a medium for the cultivation of stem cells intended for clinical cell therapy," says Dr Christer Silversand, the responsible scientific officer within Vitrolife's research organization. "The collaboration with Cellartis and Sahlgrenska Hospital gives us valuable clinical and basic scientific expertise in the area."

Magnus Nilsson CEO

Vitrolife is a global biotechnology/medical device Group that works with developing, manufacturing and selling advanced products and systems for the preparation, cultivation and storage of human cells, tissue and organs. The company has business activities within three product areas: Fertility, Transplantation and Stem Cell Cultivation.

The Fertility product area works with nutrient solutions (media), cryopreservation products and advanced consumable instruments such as needles and pipettes, for the treatment of human infertility. The Transplantation product area works with solutions and systems to evaluate and maintain organs outside the body order to select usable organs and keeping them in optimal condition while waiting for transplantation. The Stem Cell Cultivation product area works with media and instruments to enable the use and handling of stem cells for therapeutic purposes.

Vitrolife today has approximately 150 employees and the company's products are sold in more than 80 markets. The company is headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, and there are subsidiaries in USA, Australia, France, Italy and Japan. Production facilities are housed in Sweden and USA.

The Vitrolife share is listed on NASDAQ OMX Nordic Exchange, Small Cap.

Source
Vitrolife