Stem Cell Leader Beike Biotechnology Signs 8 New Cooperation

Stem Cell Leader Beike Biotechnology Signs 8 New Cooperation Agreements, Establishes Safety Monitoring Boards
10/10/2008TAIZHOU, Jiangsu, CHINA, Oct. 10 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Beike Biotechnology Co. Ltd., ( http://www.beikebiotech.com/ ) a global leader in stem cell research and treatment through evidence-based medicine, announced today it has signed eight separate mutual cooperation agreements with some of China and the world's most outstanding stem cell research organizations. As part of the agreements, Beike has also established a "Stem Cell Expert Advisory Committee" and a separate "Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB)" to oversee future Beike-sponsored research.The eight accords, initially discussed at the recently completed 2008 China Stem Cell Technology Forum held at China Medical City, will deepen Beike's leadership in providing safe, effective, and cutting-edge stem cell treatments to patients from all over the world. The eight organizations that will share resources, research information, and best practices with Beike Biotech are: AELCELL of Stanford, California, Nanjing Medical University, the China Medical City, Hua Zhong Technical University, the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Jiangsu People's Hospital, the No. 2 Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, and the Wu Hu City No. 2 People's Hospital in Anhui, China. These mutual cooperation agreements vastly increase Beike's ability to incorporate real-time research information into its network, bolstering Beike's position as the Asian leader and one of the world's foremost biotechnology companies providing stem cell solutions for a range of ailments.Dr. Sean Hu, the Chairman of Beike Biotech, stated, "Beike realizes there is definitely strength in numbers when it comes to discovering the latest and best stem cell technologies that will effectively fight a range of terrible diseases. Therefore, we are extremely enthusiastic to be cooperating with eight of the world's leading stem cell research centers, so that together we can more rapidly bring effective treatments to those who need it today."On the sidelines of the Forum, Beike also sought out a number of highly respected doctors from China and abroad to serve on a newly established "Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB)" that will oversee Beike-sponsored stem cell research. The DSMB, which is Chaired by Dr. Li Zhanquan of China's Liaoning People's Hospital and includes Dr. Geng Yongjian of the University of Texas Medical School, will operate in line with the spirits of the Declaration of Helsinki, the Council of International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS), International Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical Research Involving Human Subjects, and Guidelines for Good Clinical Practice from the World Health Organization (WHO) and The International Conference on Harmonisation (ICH) of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use. Members of the DSMB will review data protocols and enforce stringent, international safety standards for specific clinical trials Beike plans to conduct this year.Additionally, a "Stem Cell Expert Advisory Committee" was established from among China's top science institutions to provide advice to Beike on ethical issues covering basic and clinical stem cell research, as well scrutinize clinical trial project teams for sound data monitoring and best safety practices. The five rotating Members of the Stem Cell Expert Advisory Committee, which initially include Dr. Wang Zhonggao of the prestigious Chinese Academy of Sciences and Dr. Chen Hao Zhu of the China Engineering Academy, will provide guidance on ethical issues and scrutinize clinical trials for safety monitoring, also adhering to all international protocols stated above such as Helsinki, CIOMS, WHO, and ICH.Dr. Sean Hu further said, "We at Beike are committed to providing clarity and resonance in the newly unfolding stem cell research and treatment fields. We seek to set the global standard, demonstrating that everything we do is genuine, safe, and of world-class quality. This is why we will continue to increase transparency, welcoming international standard oversight systems which will serve to make the Beike team and our services even better."About Beike Biotechnology Company LimitedBeike is a biotechnology company founded in July 2005 with capital from Beijing University, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and Shenzhen City Hall. That year 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 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 250 patients each 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/ ).