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Post by iamaverb on Dec 9, 2016 17:28:56 GMT
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Post by selluwud on Dec 9, 2016 18:02:39 GMT
Stockholders (me included), in retrospect, were lucky to get what they got when Astellas made the buy out offer. Ocata wouldn't have made it through the cost of funding a new set of trials restarting from a new line of cells. The truth was always right in front of us.
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Post by iamwhatiam on Dec 9, 2016 18:04:26 GMT
Now that is interesting. I wondered if perhaps they could bypass those issues in Japan, and that's why Astellas bought Ocata. Maybe not.
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Post by iamaverb on Dec 9, 2016 19:24:45 GMT
Thanks John for finding my question from the Palm Springs Shareholder meeting in your archives. I always felt ACTC allowed Rabin to stay on as the point man to take the flack until, hopefully, they could right the ship. John Redaelli You might get a kick out of this Bill - We really have come full circle. See this Twitter post - 2013 Shareholder meeting Q&A question
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Post by tradeup on Dec 11, 2016 15:40:14 GMT
This brings back fond memories And of course, HeyNow and Keybridge were wrong. MA09-hRPE Licensure
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Post by harleyquinn on Dec 11, 2016 18:29:02 GMT
Stockholders (me included), in retrospect, were lucky to get what they got when Astellas made the buy out offer. Ocata wouldn't have made it through the cost of funding a new set of trials restarting from a new line of cells. The truth was always right in front of us. Anyone know what happened to the shareholders who held out for appraisal?
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Post by selluwud on Dec 11, 2016 21:27:29 GMT
Stockholders (me included), in retrospect, were lucky to get what they got when Astellas made the buy out offer. Ocata wouldn't have made it through the cost of funding a new set of trials restarting from a new line of cells. The truth was always right in front of us. Anyone know what happened to the shareholders who held out for appraisal? Haven't heard, but a case for lost value is going to be hard to prove with this latest revelation.
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Post by hansgruber on Dec 12, 2016 15:21:30 GMT
just proves how pathetic, untruthful, criminal and inept the management of that company was. Bunch of crooks.
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Post by imz72 on Aug 25, 2017 23:01:33 GMT
Astellas to Integrate Regenerative Medicine Research into US Unit
Astellas Pharma on August 24 announced a series of organization changes in October including a plan to consolidate regenerative medicine research functions into its unit in the US, which involves the shutdown of a lab in Japan ... pj.jiho.jp/servlet/pjh/business/outline/1226590182049.html
( From Astellas' PR ): 2. Organizational Changes effective on October 1, 2017
Regenerative Medicine Labs.
To further increase the productivity for regenerative medicine research, Regenerative Medicine Labs. will be reorganized and integrated into Astellas Institute for Regenerative Research (AIRM). AIRM will be a major function of regenerative medicine research in Astellas group. Astellas continues to pursue joint research and collaborations in Japan as ever. www.astellas.com/system/files/news/2017-08/170824_1_Eg.pdf
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Post by imz72 on Sept 29, 2017 0:07:38 GMT
newsroom.astellas.us/feature-stories?item=1020Astellas Executive Interview Series – Eddy Anglade
Sep 27, 2017 As a young medical student at Yale University, Eddy Anglade was exposed to a number of exciting therapeutic areas. But it was one clinical discipline – ophthalmology – that stood out above the rest for its importance, as ocular diseases and conditions are among some of the highest unmet needs. An interest in ophthalmology, paired with research in cell therapy, has led him to a 20-plus year career in the pharmaceutical industry. Today, he currently serves as Chief Medical Officer and Global Therapeutic Head of the Astellas Institute for Regenerative Medicine (AIRM). We met with Eddy to discuss ophthalmology, one of our emerging therapeutic areas, and the innovative work underway at AIRM labs in the Boston area. Through cell therapy, Eddy and his team are working to address diseases like macular degeneration – a leading cause of permanent vision loss in populations aged 55 years and older. What drove you to pursue a career in pharma?
Quite simply, to positively impact patient health through the design and implementation of clinical trials and drug development programs. How did that eventually lead you to cell therapy and ophthalmology?
While I enjoyed many clinical disciplines as a medical student, ophthalmology is ultimately what I chose to pursue as a clinical specialty. It was appealing to me for several reasons – first, we receive approximately 90% of our information through our eyes, and vision loss or impairment has substantial impact on quality of life. It is a specialty where both doctors and patients understand the impact and satisfaction of a quick, successful therapeutic intervention. With regard to cell therapy, I have had longstanding interest in immunology and immune-mediated diseases (within ophthalmology, I specialized in ocular inflammatory diseases) and started my career in the pharmaceutical industry as a marketing medical director in the area of solid organ transplantation. The combination of ophthalmology and cell therapy takes advantage of all of these experiences. We understand there is an unmet need for patients suffering from eye diseases/conditions. Could you please describe a program you are currently excited about, and why?
The Medical & Development team at AIRM, with outstanding partnership and support from our colleagues across Astellas, is currently engaged in a program studying a potential treatment option for macular degeneration, including juvenile and adult forms of the disease, which inevitably lead to loss of vision. We are working collaboratively with a diverse group of investigators to implement a series of clinical trials that will assess the efficacy and safety of human stem cell-derived retinal pigment epithelial cells that will be transplanted into the eyes of patients diagnosed with macular degeneration. If we are successful, we have the potential to help thousands of patients – and that’s impactful and exciting. What makes AIRM's approach to cell therapy programs different than other peers and organizations?
There are several aspects of AIRM’s approach to cell therapy that are notable. First, although virtually all other research programs are approaching age-related macular degeneration only, AIRM is studying both adult and juvenile forms of the disease. Additionally, we will make use of a number of expert independent committees that will assist us in ensuring appropriate clinical trial participant selection and data interpretation, which we believe is unique to our program. What will regenerative medicine look like 5 or 10 years from now?
I am optimistic that there will be several cell-based therapeutics in addition to other therapeutic modalities that comprise regenerative medicine. The pace of advances is quickening, and it is likely that further patient-specific, targeted forms of regenerative medicine will be advanced within the span of a decade.
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Post by imz72 on Feb 14, 2018 22:51:59 GMT
Astellas pledges $102.5M for universal donor cell company
by Phil Taylor | Feb 14, 2018 Astellas has bought out a U.S. biotech that promises to do away with the testing needed to ensure cell therapy products aren’t rejected by a patient’s immune system. The Japanese pharma company is paying $102.5 million for Universal Cells, claiming ownership of the Seattle-based biotech just a few months after it signed a $9 million upfront licensing deal to apply its off-the-shelf cell technology to a single, undisclosed disease indication. The total value of the deal depends on certain clinical milestones. Universal is developing a platform technology that uses recombinant adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors to edit the genomes of pluripotent stem cells by switching off human leukocyte antigen (HLA) expression in a way that does not cause ‘off-target’ DNA cutting—which could lead to unintended effects. The resulting universal donor cells don’t require donor matching or immune-suppressing therapy and don’t stimulate rejection, according to the biotech. “The acquisition combines Astellas' capability of establishing differentiated functional cells from pluripotent stem cells with Universal Cell's ability to produce pluripotent stem cells that have lower immunological rejection,” said the Japanese drugmaker in a statement. Universal Cells has become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Astellas following the close of the acquisition. Astellas has been building a stake in the emerging cell therapy market of late, cutting a deal to develop cell-based cancer immunotherapies with Bellicum in 2015 and paying $379 million to buy stem cell company Ocata Therapeutics the following year. The latter deal prompted the formation of the Astellas Institute for Regenerative Medicine (AIRM) in May 2016. By buying Universal Cells Astellas also inherits its existing collaboration with Adaptimmune for off-the-shelf T cell cancer immunotherapies, signed in 2015, and a 2016 alliance with Healios to create cell therapies for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The push into cell therapies is just part of an M&D drive for the Japanese company, which has also added to its stable with deals for Mitobridge and its Duchenne muscular dystrophy candidate and G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) specialist Ogeda Pharma in the last few months. www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/astellas-pledges-102-5m-for-universal-donor-cell-company
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Post by imz72 on Apr 2, 2018 19:35:32 GMT
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Post by imz72 on Nov 8, 2018 19:59:39 GMT
Astellas relocates and upgrade Massachusetts site under a $124M plan
"And in the US, the Astellas Institute for Regenerative Medicine (AIRM) is being relocated and upgraded under a ¥14 billion ($124 million) plan aimed at accelerating R&D in the field of regenerative medicine and cell therapy. [...] The news comes weeks after Astellas paid £85 million (US$110 million) to acquire Cambridge, UK-based preclinical biotech Quethera, accelerating the Japanese firm’s entry into the ophthalmic gene therapy space. The preclinical program from Quethera will be incorporated into research programs being conducted within the Drug and Discovery Research group,” Astellas said. “The recently announced investments are based on our overall research strategy rather than separate transactions.” bioprocessintl.com/bioprocess-insider/facilities-capacity/astellas-invests-256m-in-japanese-and-us-antibody-and-cell-therapy-sites/______________________________________________________________ "The biggest investment for the company will be the relocation and renovation of its Astellas Institute for Regenerative Medicine subsidiary in the US, costing ¥14bn. The plans will see the unit remain in the state of Massachusetts but move to a new location that holds a total floor space of 24,000 m². The upgraded facility will be able to provide CTM in the field of regenerative medicine and cell therapy. According to the firm, the capacity of the site could be scaled up to meet the demands of commercial production. Work has already begun on the new site and will be finished in January 2020." www.biopharma-reporter.com/Article/2018/11/07/Astellas-invests-256m-in-cell-therapy-manufacturing-buildout_____________________________________________________________ From Astellas PR, Oct 31, 2018:
"Relocation and renovation of the AIRM in the U.S.
The Astellas Institute for Regenerative Medicine (AIRM), a subsidiary of Astellas and a center of the research and development of regenerative medicine and cell therapy located in Massachusetts, U.S., will move to a new location within the state of Massachusetts with two above ground floors and a total floor area of 24,000 m². In addition, the facility will be upgraded. As a result of this relocation and renovation, the new facility will enable AIRM to accelerate research and development in the field of regenerative medicine and cell therapy. In addition, the enhancement of the production facilities will also make it possible to smoothly supply CTM (clinical trial materials). Furthermore, designed with the consideration of future progress of development, the facility will enable Astellas to meet the demands of commercial production. The total cost of the facility is approximately ¥14.0 billion. Work began in September 2018 and is scheduled for completion during January 2020." www.astellas.com/en/news/14331
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Post by imz72 on Jul 1, 2019 23:42:50 GMT
CHA Biotech to transfer SCRMI’s shares, technology to AIRM
2019.06.25 CHA Biotech said that it would transfer shares and technologies of Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine International (SCRMI), a joint venture between CHA and Astellas Institute of Regenerative Medicine (AIRM), to AIRM. Under the accord, CHA Biotech will hand over its stakes in SCRMI related to specific pluripotent stem cell differentiation technology to AIRM, and receive 54.2 billion won ($46.7 million) from the latter in a lump-sum payment. CHA Biotech established SCRMI jointly with AIRM in 2008 to develop and commercialize stem cell technology and commercialize products. Through the joint venture, the two companies have been developing various cell therapy products through researches related to stem cells over the past 10 years. The Korean company plans to use the newly acquired fund to develop new stem cell therapies. “Through this agreement, CHA Biotech has demonstrated its technological edge not only in Korea but in the global market as well,” CHA Biotech CEO Oh Sang-hoon said. “We will further promote the commercialization of products based on the largest stem cell pipeline in Korea.” www.koreabiomed.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=5985_________________________________________________________ (SCRMI's website still exists, probably not for much longer... http://www.steminternational.com)
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Post by imz72 on Jul 12, 2019 0:01:56 GMT
Stem-cell biotech seeing strong growth By Jonathan Saltzman - Globe Staff - July 2, 2019
In February 2016, Japanese drug maker Astellas Pharma paid $379 million for a small Marlborough biotech that developed promising stem-cell therapies, including a potential one-time treatment for a leading cause of blindness. The acquisition overcame stiff opposition from shareholders in the biotech, Ocata Therapeutics. Some of them believed Tokyo-based Astellas had undervalued Ocata. Others complained that technology pioneered by Robert Lanza, Ocata’s world-renowned chief scientific officer, would go to a foreign company. Three years later, the biotech — now an Astellas subsidiary called the Astellas Institute for Regenerative Medicine — appears to be growing fast and making progress — although not enough to satisfy one former investor who opposed the deal and has a personal interest in cell therapy.
The institute recently began a small early-stage clinical trial of embryonic stem cell-derived transplants for the dry form of macular degeneration, a major cause of blindness. It’s the first treatment developed by Ocata to be tested in patients. The subsidiary’s workforce has roughly quintupled since the acquisition, from about 30 employees to 150, according to its top executives. The biotech had occupied a 30,000-square-foot building in Marlborough but now has two buildings totaling 60,000 square feet. In January, all the employees will move to a 250,000-square-foot building being renovated in Westborough for $150 million. The new home will house drug research, development, and manufacturing, and serve as Astellas’ global hub for regenerative medicine. The workforce there is expected to grow to between 200 and 300 employees.
Behind the progress, says Yoshitsugu Shitaka, president of the institute, is an unwavering commitment to a medical technology he believes has the potential to treat many diseases, from eye disorders to lupus. "We think that cell therapy is a very powerful approach to tackle intractable degenerative diseases,” Shitaka said in an interview in Cambridge, where he was joined by two other Astellas executives. Astellas has 10 potential stem cell-derived therapies in its pipeline, including six originating from Ocata under the scientific leadership of Lanza. He produced hundreds of inventions, books, and scientific papers on stem-cell biology and tissue engineering. In 2014, he was named to Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Lanza now serves as the institute’s chief scientific officer. “It’s an exciting time for regenerative medicine,” he said in an e-mail. “After decades of basic research, the field is finally at a turning point.” The first of the institute’s stem-cell therapies to enter the clinic is a treatment for age-related macular degeneration. The disorder is the leading cause of vision loss, affecting more than 10 million Americans, according to the American Macular Degeneration Foundation. The disease is marked by a deterioration of the central part of the retina, the inside back layer of the eye that records the images we see and sends them through the optic nerve from the eye to the brain. Age is a risk factor, says the foundation, with symptoms often appearing when people are in their 50s. In the early phase of the disease, people may experience wavy or blurred vision. If the condition worsens, central vision may be entirely lost. About 10 to 15 percent of people afflicted with the disease have the “wet” form. Many receive injections of one of three approved drugs in their affected eye every few weeks. The injections may help slow the progression, preserve existing vision, and, if begun early enough, help patients recover some lost vision. The “dry” form of the disease affects the remaining 85 to 90 percent of patients. But apart from vitamins and supplements, there are no approved treatments. In April, the institute began testing one that involves transplanting retinal cells made from stem cells below the retina in the hopes of replacing dysfunctional cells and tissues.
So far, one patient in the early-stage clinical trial has received such a transplant. The institute hopes to administer the treatment to nine patients by the end of next year.
“By directing the body’s capacity to renew itself, regenerative medicine may fundamentally change the way we think about managing disease,” Shitaka recently wrote on an Astellas blog. But not everyone was thrilled with Ocata’s acquisition by Astellas. Many shareholders argued that Ocata was worth more than the nearly 80 percent premium on the stock price Astellas offered, while some objected to the biotech’s potentially groundbreaking technology being sold to a foreign company. The Japanese company wrangled with shareholders for three months and twice extended a tender offer for Ocata before Astellas accumulated more than 50 percent of outstanding shares to gain control of the biotech. Among the former shareholders who remain unhappy is Edward Assad, of Monticello, Fla. Assad, 65, said he owned $5,000 to $10,000 worth of Ocata stock at one point and ultimately lost money in the acquisition. Assad suffers from Parkinson’s disease. He said he had hoped a drug maker would have won approval of a stem-cell therapy to treat his condition by now and is disappointed by what he sees as a lack of progress. “I’ve been following stem cells for years,” he said. “They just don’t seem to get anywhere with it.”www.bostonglobe.com/business/2019/07/02/stem-cell-biotech-seeing-strong-growth/aU5crclpSYpuQOFa1HsgqK/story.html
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Post by iamaverb on Jul 22, 2019 9:22:15 GMT
It is nice to read that Dr. Lanza has remained and helped build this potential powerhouse of a stem cell company.
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Post by imz72 on Sept 3, 2019 22:30:40 GMT
Astellas will present at "The Cell & Gene Meeting on the Mesa", October 4, 2019: __________________________________________________________ ASTELLAS INSTITUTE FOR REGENERATIVE MEDICINE Yoshitsugu Shitaka, Ph.D., President Oct. 4 | 11:00am | Cognate Bioservices Ballroom Marlborough, MA (Private) The Astellas Institute for Regenerative Medicine (AIRM) was established in May 2016 following Astellas’ acquisition of Ocata Therapeutics. Headquartered in Marlborough, MA, and supported by a research team in Tsukuba, Japan, AIRM is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Astellas and serves as the company’s global hub for regenerative medicine and cell therapy research in ophthalmology and other therapeutic areas that have few or no available treatment options. Together with AIRM, Astellas is focused on early discovery of cell therapy products for a variety of diseases through a combination of in-house research and external collaborations, using existing technologies and the creation of proprietary technologies. www.meetingonthemesa.com/company-presentations/#astellas
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Post by imz72 on Oct 1, 2019 10:36:38 GMT
Astellas Commits Nearly $13 Million to Fund Boston-Area Start-Up Innovation in Cell and Gene Therapy Financial Support for LabCentral Incubators Builds on Astellas' $1 Billion+ Investment in Boston's Life Science Community
TOKYO, Oct. 1, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Astellas Pharma Inc. (TSE: 4503, President and CEO: Kenji Yasukawa, Ph.D., "Astellas") today announced it will invest nearly $13 million into two innovation incubators operated by LabCentral, a premier United States-based laboratory facility for next-generation biotech start-ups. This initiative, combined with the more than $1 billion Astellas has previously committed to driving innovation in Massachusetts, contributes to the Boston-area life science community's ongoing efforts to accelerate the discovery and development of potential breakthrough therapies in areas of significant unmet need. "Astellas has a long-standing commitment to the Boston-area life sciences ecosystem, where world-class talent are dedicated to turning innovative science into value for patients," said Kenji Yasukawa, Ph.D., President and CEO, Astellas. "Our presence in the greater Boston area comprises over 200 professionals across several locations driving innovation in regenerative medicine, immuno-oncology, mitochondrial function, genetic regulation and beyond. Accelerating early-stage scientific innovation in areas such as cell and gene therapy is a strategic focus for Astellas, and is superbly aligned with the mission of LabCentral to serve as a launching-pad for cutting-edge biotech and life sciences start-ups." Astellas will invest $12.5 million to become the only pharmaceutical/biotechnology company among five Founding Sponsors of a new incubator, which will feature a core lab space where companies can easily conduct process development studies and a non-GMP pilot plant, being developed by LabCentral at 238 Main Street in Cambridge, Mass. The investment, announced at a ceremony with the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center and various elected officials, provides support to start-up companies and entrepreneurial founders seeking to create scientific innovation in areas of unmet need such as cell and gene therapy. The new incubator is expected to be operational in 2021. Astellas also today announced it will invest at least $450,000 over three years to become a Gold Sponsor of LabCentral's existing incubator located at 700 Main Street in Cambridge. By supporting these incubators, Astellas can select, support and access innovation from leading start-ups creating healthcare solutions in its areas of focus. Since 2010, Astellas has invested more than $800 million in, and committed nearly $500 million more to, Massachusetts-based innovation through the acquisitions of Ocata Therapeutics, Inc., Mitobridge, Inc. and Potenza Therapeutics, Inc., as well as the construction of a state-of-the-art headquarters for the Astellas Institute for Regenerative Medicine (AIRM) in Westborough, Mass. The new facility, expected to open in 2020, will enable AIRM to accelerate research and development in the field of regenerative medicine and cell therapy.
The impact of this agreement on Astellas' financial results in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2020 will be limited. www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/astellas-commits-nearly-13-million-to-fund-boston-area-start-up-innovation-in-cell-and-gene-therapy-300928166.html
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Post by CM kipper007 on Oct 1, 2019 19:29:09 GMT
This has turned out to be such a money pit. I hope the get to market soon.
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Post by imz72 on Oct 4, 2019 18:40:21 GMT
Yoshitsugu Shitaka, Ph. D., president of Astellas Institute for Regenerative Medicine (AIRM), presented today at the annual Cell & Gene Meeting on the Mesa (in Carlsbad, California). Some of the presentation slides:
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