SUNNYVALE, Calif. and MINNEAPOLIS, April 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Brewer Sports International (BSI), a globally diversified boutique services provider for professional athletes, sports agencies and various other organizations, and Amarantus BioSciences, Inc. (OTCBB: AMBS), a biotechnology company developing new treatments for brain-related disorders including traumatic brain injury (TBI) based on its proprietary anti-apoptotic therapeutic protein known as MANF, today announced the launch of a new movement called the Coalition for Concussion Treatment, referred by the Twitter shorthand #C4CT, to increase awareness about key scientific and medical advances in the effort to develop new concussion treatments.
“With recent developments in the actions of the NFL, NCAA and youth football leagues around the country changing their long-standing rules and practices as it relates to concussions, there is clearly a major shift in mentality when it comes to the acceptance of impact these injuries have on players,” said Jack Brewer, CEO of Brewer Sports International, and a former football player with the University of Minnesota and five-year veteran of the National Football League. “It is critical for those of us who have first-hand experience with concussions and who can affect change by accelerating research to take a leadership role to make our peers and the community at large aware of the potential of new research in development. This could have a big impact for future generations of players having access to better care.”
In November 2011, Brewer Sports International funded research being conducted under a collaboration agreement between Amarantus and Banyan Biomarkers, the leader in developing in vitro diagnostic products to detect concussions and other forms of TBI. Amarantus and Banyan anticipate publicly releasing those research results shortly in order to raise awareness of their work to develop a combined drug-diagnostic approach and raise additional funds to advance their research to the next critical development milestone.
“There is a national conversation ongoing in the football community among stakeholders at all levels as it relates to traumatic brain injury, often referred to as concussions. For the most part, that conversation is focused on concussion diagnosis, concussion management and concussion prevention,” said Gerald Commissiong, President and CEO of Amarantus, also a former football player for Stanford University and the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League. “What is missing from this conversation is new approaches being studied to treat concussions in order to reduce the short- and long-term effects resulting from these devastating injuries. We are hopeful that this movement will add that component to the discussion by highlighting our work.”
About the Coalition for Concussion Treatment
The “Coalition for Concussion Treatment” was created behind the concept of creating a viral campaign through twitter and various digital and social media outlets to help ignite awareness of the severity of concussions and enhance treatment efforts using the hash tag #C4CT.
An online petition has also been established. For more information and to join the movement, please visit:
iPetition: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/coalition-for-concussion-treatment/
Twitter: @BrewerSports
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CoalitionForConcussionTreatment
About Amarantus BioSciences, Inc.
Amarantus BioSciences, Inc. is a development-stage biotechnology company founded in January 2008. The Company has a focus on developing certain biologics surrounding the intellectual property and proprietary technologies it owns to treat Parkinson’s disease, Traumatic Brain Injury and other human diseases. The Company owns the intellectual property rights to a therapeutic protein known as Mesencephalic-Astrocyte-derived Neurotrophic Factor (“MANF”) and is developing MANF-based products as treatments for human disorders. For further information please visit www.amarantus.com.
About Brewer Sports International
Brewer Sports International (BSI) offers a boutique of sports lending, corporate advisory and entertainment services for professional athletes, sports agencies, public and private corporations and various partners including international organizations, governments and NGOs. BSI was founded by Jack Brewer, a five-year National Football League (NFL) veteran and former team captain on three NFL teams. Additionally, BSI has created a unique financial services platform that is offered to professional athletes and sports agencies, as well as high net worth individuals and businesses touching professional sports. BSI takes pride in building value for its clients through sports and entertainment. For more information, please visit www.brewersports.com.
About MANF (Mesencephalic-Astrocyte-derived Neurotrophic Factor)
MANF (Mesencephalic-Astrocyte-derived Neurotrophic Factor) is a protein that corrects protein misfolding, one of the major causes of apoptosis (cell death). This property provides a compelling rationale for the research and development of MANF-based products as therapeutics for human disease. The lead MANF product development effort is centered on a therapy for Parkinson’s disease, currently funded by a research grant from the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research and a secondary program funded by the Brewer Sports International developing new treatments for Traumatic Brain Injury. The Company also owns an inventory of 88 cell lines referred to as “PhenoGuard Cell Lines.” MANF was the first therapeutic protein discovered from a PhenoGuard Cell Line. It is anticipated that additional therapeutic proteins useful for various therapeutic approaches to the Central Nervous System (CNS) will be identified from the Company’s inventory of PhenoGuard Cell Lines.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the possible benefits of MANF therapeutic applications and/or advantages presented by Amarantus’ PhenoGuard technology, as well as statements about expectations, plans and prospects of the development of Amarantus’ new product candidates. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including the risks that the anticipated benefits of the therapeutic drug candidates or discovery platforms, as well as the risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to the development of Amarantus’ new product candidates, including those identified under “Risk Factors” in Amarantus’ most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and in other filings Amarantus periodically makes with the SEC. Actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by these forward-looking statements Amarantus does not undertake to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect a change in its views or events or circumstances that occur after the date of this presentation.
MEDIA CONTACTS: | |
Brewer Sports International | Amarantus BioSciences, Inc. |
Alex Nennig | Gerald Commissiong |
612.349.5273 | 408.737.2734 |
SOURCE Amarantus BioSciences, Inc.
