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Beike Biotech Opens Comprehensive Stem Cell Storage and Processing Facility in China

TAIZHOU, Jiangsu Province, China, June 19 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Shenzhen Beike Biotechnology Co., Ltd. ( http://www.beikebiotech.com ), a worldwide leader in providing safe and effective stem cell applications for medical treatment, has commenced outfitting its 21,500 square foot comprehensive medical stem cell storage and processing facility in eastern China. When fully completed, the Jiangsu Stem Cell Storage Facility will be one of the most highly developed of its kind anywhere in the world, with advanced technology and safe conditions to properly freeze, store, and process a broad range of human stem cell samples for clinical application. The Stem Cell Storage Facility will initially provide stem cell banking for human umbilical cord blood stem cells, placenta stem cells, amniotic membrane stem cells, bone marrow stem cells, and later will also be able to house induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS). Considered the future for stem cell treatments, iPS cells are derived from cell reprogramming technologies and are a non-controversial potential alternative to embryonic stem cells. Like umbilical cord blood stem cells, iPS cells can be preserved for later use in fighting a range of disorders.

Initially, the facility will be used primarily for private banking of stem cells by individuals, but as the number of samples increases, it will focus on public banking for medical facilities with the aim of allowing Beike to become a global supplier for patients in need of stem cell transplants. Jiangsu Beike Biotechnology Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Shenzhen Beike Biotechnology Co., Ltd., has been established to manage the facility.

Dr. Sean Hu, the Chairman of Beike Biotech said, "Stem cell storage is the next logical step for us given our years of experience in handling and culturing stem cells to successfully treat patients from all over the world. With this groundbreaking new storage facility, Beike now leapfrogs to the forefront of the global stem cell industry by providing a large and secure home for the ammunition doctors need to fight debilitating disorders worldwide."

A new, technologically advanced laboratory will occupy ten thousand square feet of the Stem Cell Storage Facility and will produce quality Beike stem cells for use in treating patients in the leading hospitals of China’s Jiangsu Province and greater Shanghai regions. Beike’s stem cells are already used nationally in some of China’s leading hospitals to treat more than 200 patients per month suffering from a range of debilitating disorders like Ataxia, Brain Injury, Cerebral Palsy, Diabetic Feet, Lower Limb Ischemia, Multiple Sclerosis, Muscular Dystrophy, Spinal Cord Injury and Optic Nerve Damage. This new central processing laboratory model supersedes Beike’s prior need to build laboratories inside hospitals, meaning Beike treatments will become more affordable as stem cell component costs are reduced, fulfilling Beike’s mission to improve the quality of life for as many patients as possible.

The Stem Cell Storage Facility, which is set to be fully functional by year end 2008, is located next to the 15,000 square foot Jiangsu Beike Biotechnology office building, which already houses a showroom showcasing Beike’s technologies and treatments. Beike ultimately plans for the entire facility to be able to house up to 100,000 stem cell samples. To mark its formal establishment, Beike hosted a grand opening ceremony at the site of the facility which is located in Taizhou City within the prosperous eastern province of Jiangsu. Jiangsu is rapidly becoming known as China’s biotech and medical capital, with Taizhou being touted by Chinese officials as "China Medical City" (CMC). Several provincial and local officials were in attendance at the ceremony including Mr. He Rong, The Assistant Mayor of Taizhou and Director of the Taizhou New Medical Technology Industrial Park, among others. The Stem Cell Storage Facility and the Industrial Park where it is located are major components of Taizhou City’s plans to create a global base for the stem cell industry.

Assistant Mayor He Rong said, "The establishment of this storage and processing facility is not only an important milestone for Beike’s development, it is also a wonderful advancement for China’s medical industry as a whole."

Dr. Hu added, "Thanks to the great support and vision of China Medical City’s leadership, thousands more patients will be able to get the help they need. We are confident that CMC will be one of the leading centers in the world for medical related advancement and we feel honored to be an integral part of the stem cell aspect of the area’s development."

See http://www.beikebiotech.com for pictures of the facility.

About Beike Biotechnology Company Limited

Beike is a biotechnology company that was founded in July 2005 with capital from Beijing University, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and Shenzhen City Hall when it commercialized stem cell technology that had been in research since 1999. The research and clinical work comes from collaborations with leading institutions in China including of Tsinghua University, Beijing University, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, No. 3 Army Medical University, Zhongshan Medical University, Guiyang Medical College and Zhengzhou University. Over 200 patients every month are treated with Beike’s stem cells in leading hospitals throughout China. Patient experiences from treatments can be found at Stem Cell China News ( http://www.stemcellschina.com ).

About the China Medical City (CMC)

Jiangsu Province is considered the number one location for China’s medical industry based on revenue generated over the past 5 years. The city of Taizhou in Jiangsu is not only the hometown of China’s President Hu Jintao, but is considered the fastest growing medical industry location in Jiangsu, with over 35% annual growth in that time. Established by the Chinese Government in 2005 and consisting of 20-25 square Kilometers in the heart of Taizhou City, China Medical City (CMC) is fully supported by China’s local and national governments. CMC is emerging as a strong leader in China’s efforts to develop a streamlined pharmaceutical and medical materials industry that concentrates all medical services and support in one location. Businesses located in CMC carry out a range of manufacturing and support services including research and development, creation and processing of medical materials, distribution, comprehensive healthcare delivery solutions, and patent filing support.

Source: Shenzhen Beike Biotechnology Co., Ltd.
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