Aussie stem cells in high demand

Research institutions are beating a path to the doors of the only two Australian biotechs which supply embryonic stem cells lines meeting current US regulatory requirements.

ES Cell International and BresaGen respectively have developed six and four of the 72 lines stem cell lines certified for research use by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH).

So far this year, ES Cell International (ESI) has fielded 100 requests for stem cell lines from researchers around the world, a spokesperson said.

Of those, only about 30 shipments have been made to institutions which have signed material transfer agreements (MTA). The rest are still in the process of receiving ethics committee clearances and import permits.

Each delivery consists of four straws - two straws each of two separate lines- holding 500,000 stem cells apiece.

Apart from shipping charges, ES Cell International is not attaching any fixed commercial considerations to the agreements it negotiates with researchers. In many cases, but not all, it asks for first right of refusal on IP or commercial ramifications flowing from research facilitated by its cell lines. ESI appears to be responding to any legitimate request from researchers. But recipients must comply with MTA guidelines and the ethical guidelines of the country in which their research is taking place.

There has been speculation that thousands of requests for its cell lines will flood in during the next few years as interest in stem cell work expands. However company officials believe requests are more likely to remain in the hundreds.

The already-signed agreements with researchers using its stem cells are giving ES Cell International links to a wide spectrum of potentially valuable IP.

However the spokesperson noted that supplying cell lines to other institutions is not a core business for the company which is focused on regenerative medicine and the development of therapeutic products.

ESI's Singapore research labs are currently trying to produce stem cell lines grown on human feeder cells rather than the mouse cells on which the existing NIH-registered lines were developed.

The distinction is vital because US regulations prohibit progressing animal feeder cell lines to human clinical trials.

And ES Cell International is giving no guarantees that it will supply any new human-based cell lines to researchers on the same terms as the existing lines.

BresaGen has fielded approximately 80 enquiries and shipped stem cells to less than 10 research labs. However a recent grant of NIH funds to underwrite the cost of stem cell deliveries will allow it to increase the pace of its distribution activity in the near future, says BresaGen chief scientist Allan Robins.

He predicts demand for cell lines will remain constant as new labs receive grants to work in the area.

BresaGen distributes its stem cells from its US base in Athens, Georgia for a fixed fee of $US5000 which covers shipping costs.