DETROIT and ANN ARBOR, Mich., Feb. 14, 2001 — The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute at Wayne State University and Aastrom Biosciences, Inc. announced today that the Michigan Economic Development Corporation awarded a $2.2 million Michigan Life Sciences Corridor grant to fund development of new cell-based therapies through a Center for Cell Therapy (CCT) to be established at the Institute.

The CCT will combine the research and clinical expertise of the Institute with the cell production technologies and products of Aastrom to establish a state of the art center to promote the discovery and development of cellular therapies to disease treatment.

"The initial therapies to be pursued by the CCT will include cord blood stem cell therapy for leukemia patients and dendritic cell vaccines for the treatment of cancer."

The combined expertise of the Institute and Aastrom will facilitate the coordination of scientific efforts, personnel and resources, to initiate and oversee developmental research and clinical trials. The CCT's aims include optimizing cellular therapies for clinical use, pursuing appropriate licensing of collateral technologies and commercializing the manufacture processes for producing cells and therapies. The grant proposal also provides funding to complete a GMP production facility at the Institute and to initiate clinical activities of targeted new therapies. First year objectives for the CCT will include commencement of operations and the integration of the AastromReplicell(TM) System product platform into the CCT to begin clinical trials. The initial therapies to be pursued by the CCT will include cord blood stem cell therapy for leukemia patients and dendritic cell vaccines for the treatment of cancer.

Funding under the grant is subject to incorporation of the CCT, which is underway and subject to approval by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation before funding can commence.

The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute is one of the nation's leading cancer research, treatment, education and outreach centers, and operates one of 36 cancer centers nationwide designated as a comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute. It is affiliated with The Detroit Medical Center and Wayne State University and supported by United Way.

About Aastrom

Aastrom Biosciences, Inc. is pioneering the development of proprietary clinical systems, including the AastromReplicell(TM) System, a first of its kind product, to enable physicians and patients greater accessibility to cells used for therapy. The AastromReplicell(TM) System product line consists of an instrumentation platform that can operate a growing number of patient-specific therapy kits tailored to each cell therapy application. This product platform is intended to provide a standardized and automated way of producing cells that comply with the necessary regulatory standards, ultimately making cells more readily available in medical practice. Aastrom has received patents covering methods and devices for the ex vivo production of human stem cells, as well as for the genetic modification of stem cells. The AastromReplicell(TM) System has received CE Mark approval, necessary for European marketing. The platform is not available for sale at this time in the U.S., except for research or investigational use.

Source: Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute

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