BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire - June 25, 2010) - Amarantus MA, Inc., a privately held biotechnology company developing first-in-class disease-modifying treatments that address the underlying cause of cell death, today announced that the Company is entering into a collaborative research agreement with the Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute (‘PVLSI’) in Springfield, Massachusetts to accelerate the development of AMRS001, a novel human growth factor with broad anti-apoptotic properties currently under development for range of human disorders, including Parkinson’s Disease and Ischemic Heart Disease.
Under the agreement, the PVLSI will work jointly with Amarantus to identify and advance AMRS001 in cell-based models of diabetes. Drs. Alan Schneyer and Melissa Brown will be leading the initial phase of the collaboration on behalf of PVLSI. Dr. Schneyer currently serves as the Chairman of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Task Force for the Research Affairs Core Committee of the Endocrine Society.
Additionally, talks are underway with the Center of Excellence for Apoptosis Research (CEAR) to further investigate the biology behind AMRS001. The joint effort will be resourced by a core group of scientists based at PVLSI and CEAR research centers.
“We are excited to have the opportunity to work with top research groups PVLSI and CEAR,” said the Company’s CEO, Martin D. Cleary. “We believe this work will lead to a deeper understanding of the potential of AMRS001, which may ultimately lead to novel treatments for a wide variety of human diseases. CEAR and the PVLSI have well-established research programs and we hope that together, our research can bring important advances to patients in need.”
“We are pleased to welcome Amarantus to Western Massachusetts, where their collaborations will add to the growing cluster of premiere life sciences research being conducted in this area,” said Mike Graney, Senior Vice President of Business Development at the Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council. “As a center of excellence both for the Commonwealth and the U.S., both the PVLSI and CEAR will provide this innovative and growing company with the resources it needs in terms of a highly-successful scientific workforce.”
About Amarantus Therapeutics, Inc.
Amarantus Therapeutics, Inc. is a privately held biotechnology company developing first-in-class disease-modifying treatments that address the underlying cause of cell death, known as apoptosis, associated with a wide range of diseases, including but not limited to, neurodegenerative and cardiovascular. The Company’s most advanced drug candidate, AMRS001, is a growth factor indicated for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease and Myocardial Infarction. Currently incubating at the Parkinson’s Institute, Amarantus Therapeutics is a recipient of a research grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. The Company is currently fund raising to advance its lead programs into clinical development. www.amarantustherapeutics.com
About the Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute
PVLSI was created in 2002 as a joint venture of Baystate Medical Center and the University of Massachusetts Amherst with the dual missions of biomedical research and economic development. Drawing on each of the founders as well as its own researchers, the Institute brings together physicians, scientists, and engineers to create interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary teams focused on the molecular mechanisms of disease and the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic tools. For more information, go to www.pvlsi.org.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Erik Clausen or Kena Hudson
College Hill, Inc. for Amarantus Therapeutics, Inc.
415-230-5385
Erik.Clausen@CollegeHill.com or Kena.Hudson@CollegeHill.com
