Stemgent and Miltenyi Biotec Announce Strategic Partnership

BOSTON, Massachusetts and BERGISCH GLADBACH, Germany, May 4, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Stemgent, Inc., and Miltenyi Biotec today announced a strategic collaboration for co-development and commercialization of stem cell research products.

Within the strategic partnership, Miltenyi Biotec will be responsible for worldwide marketing and sales of Stemgent's existing stem cell product portfolio outside the USA, whereas Stemgent will continue to serve its US customers. Both companies will jointly develop innovative products to serve unmet needs of the international stem cell research community. New products developed in the strategic collaboration will be globally commercialized by Miltenyi Biotec on an exclusive basis.

Miltenyi Biotec will make an equity investment into Stemgent, and Stefan Miltenyi, CEO of Miltenyi Biotec, will join Stemgent's Board of Directors. "We are very pleased to form this relationship with Stemgent," said Stefan Miltenyi. "Stemgent's accomplished track record in identifying superior tools for stem cell research perfectly complements Miltenyi Biotec's scientific expertise and commitment to serving the biomedical research community with innovative high-quality products throughout the world."

Commenting on the collaboration, Ian Ratcliffe, President and CEO of Stemgent, said, "Partnering with Miltenyi Biotec is a tremendous step for Stemgent, as we instantly increase our global reach with a top-tier partner allowing us to better serve our customers' needs. The co-development aspect dramatically increases our ability to combine Miltenyi Biotec's corporate technologies with Stemgent's stem cell expertise. We are especially pleased to have Stefan join Stemgent's board and welcome Miltenyi Biotec as a strategic partner; Stefan's experience in building a world class organization in the research tools space brings an invaluable perspective as we continue to build Stemgent."

About Miltenyi Biotec

Miltenyi Biotec's company mission is to improve scientific understanding and medical progress by providing products and services for cellular therapies. With approx. 1100 employees in 18 countries, Miltenyi Biotec develops, manufactures and commercializes innovations for both, research and clinical applications. The portfolio provides integrated solutions for all areas covering sample preparation, cell separation, cell culture, flow cytometry, and molecular analysis. Visit http://www.miltenyibiotec.com to discover more.

About Stemgent

Stemgent advances stem cell science by providing proprietary reagents and tools developed by some of the world's leading stem cell scientists. Stemgent's product offering has been specifically optimized for and screened against stem cells, and includes small molecules for pluripotency, self-renewal, and differentiation, viral-delivered transcription factors, matrices, cell lines, cytokines, antibodies, transfection reagents, and more. This unique product mix is designed to serve researchers who study stem cell biology and regenerative medicine, and those who use cells derived from stem cells as tools to advance their understanding of major diseases. With dual headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts, and San Diego, California, Stemgent is well positioned to serve these major research markets. For more information on Stemgent, please visit: http://www.stemgent.com.

    Contacts:

    Miltenyi Biotec
    Prof. Dr. Uwe Heinlein, Corporate Communications, Miltenyi Biotec GmbH
    +49-2204-8306-6590
    [email protected]

    Stemgent
    Edward D. Agne, The Communications Strategy Group
    +1-781-631-3117
    [email protected]

SOURCE Miltenyi Biotec GmbH