Stem Cell Therapeutics Corp. Congratulates Dr. Samuel Weiss on His Receipt of the Gairdner Award

CALGARY, ALBERTA -- 04/16/08 -- Stem Cell Therapeutics Corp. ("SCT") (TSX VENTURE: SSS) is proud to congratulate Dr. Samuel Weiss, Director of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute at the University of Calgary, for receiving the distinguished Gairdner Award. This esteemed award was granted to Dr. Weiss "for his seminal discovery of adult neural stem cells in the mammalian brain and its importance in nerve cell regeneration".

Dr. Weiss discovered that the adult brain can produce new cells - adult stem cells - that can grow into new brain cells called neurons. The finding raised the prospect of regenerating damaged nerves with stem cells the brain can produce itself. Dr Weiss' stem cell regenerative work is the foundation of SCT's therapeutic approach to stroke, traumatic brain injury and multiple sclerosis. He continues his association with SCT as a key member of its Scientific Advisory Board.

Dr. Alan Moore, President of Stem Cell Therapeutics Corp. commented as follows:

"We are delighted to see Dr. Weiss win this prestigious award. Stem Cell Therapeutics is making good progress in our efforts to commercialize Dr Weiss's scientific discovery which has the potential to provide significant benefits for indications such as stroke, multiple sclerosis and traumatic brain injury where there are currently limited options available for treatment"

About the Gairdner Award (http://www.gairdner.org/): The core mandate of the Gairdner Foundation is to select the annual Gairdner International Award winners. Over the past 48 years, the Foundation has gained a superb international reputation through its international awards, for recognizing and rewarding early the work of the world's leading scientists. An external measure of their stature is the fact that of the 288 individuals from 13 countries, including 42 Canadians, who have received Gairdner Awards, 70 have subsequently gone on to win the Nobel Prize.

About NTx(TM)-265: NTx(TM)-265 is a therapeutic regimen of two approved and clinically well-defined drugs, human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) and Erythropoietin (EPO), targeting the treatment of stroke. The twin objectives of the regimen are to stimulate the growth and differentiation of new neurons to replace the brain cells that were lost or damaged by the stroke, and importantly, to direct motor, visual and cognitive recovery after acute ischemic stroke. Animal studies have shown a significant recovery in motor function after receiving the NTx(TM)-265 regimen 24-48 hours post stroke. Encouraging clinical results in SCT's Phase IIa BETAS stroke trial were presented at the International Stroke Conference in February 2008. SCT is enrolling sites for the multi-centre, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase IIb REGENESIS study for NTx(TM)-265 with primary endpoints of efficacy; enrolment to be complete by the end of 2008 with top-line efficacy data to be released before the end of the first quarter of 2009.

About Stem Cell Therapeutics Corp.: Stem Cell Therapeutics Corp. is a Canadian public biotechnology company (TSX VENTURE: SSS) focused on the development and commercialization of drug-based therapies to treat central nervous system diseases. SCT is a leader in the development of therapies that utilize drugs to stimulate a patient's own resident stem cells. The company's programs aim to repair neurological function lost due to disease or injury. The company's extensive patent portfolio of owned and licensed intellectual property supports the potential expansion into future clinical programs in numerous neurological diseases such as traumatic brain injury and multiple sclerosis.

Source - The Earth Times

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