Achieving Commercial Success to Benefit Patients Highlighted at the Third Annual Stem Cell Meeting on the Mesa Regen Med Partnering Forum

WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwired - Sep 24, 2013) - The 2013 Stem Cell Meeting on the Mesa and its Regenerative Medicine Partnering Forum, the largest gathering of companies, major research institutions and thought leaders in the sector, will feature a candid exchange in the plenary session among senior pharmaceutical and biotech execs regarding the near term prospects for therapeutic breakthroughs. The program's six panels cover timely business topics such as reimbursement strategies, navigating regulatory pathways and the increasing global impact of regenerative medicine. The full agenda for the meeting is available at: http://stemcellmeetingonthemesa.com/agenda/. The third annual Regen Med Partnering Forum will take place October 14 and 15, 2013 at the Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa, La Jolla, California.

Participation and interest in the field has increased, as evidenced by the number of large pharmaceutical companies with regenerative medicine research programs and recent financing deals. This will be the topic of the program's plenary session, entitled "Curiosity or Commitment: What type of investment is large pharma and big biotech really making in regenerative medicine?" Speakers include senior-level management from GlaxoSmithKline, Celgene Cellular Therapeutics, Janssen, and Baxter Healthcare Corporation. The session will be moderated by Greg Lucier of Life Technologies.

"We are very excited by the potential for new therapeutic breakthroughs in the field of regenerative medicine that may help patients challenged by serious and debilitating diseases live longer and better lives. Celgene Cellular Therapeutics continues to demonstrate its commitment to bold pursuits in science through multiple collaborations and funding initiatives," said Perry Karsen, CEO of Celgene Cellular Therapeutics and Executive Vice President and COO of Celgene Corporation.

Additional sessions at the meeting will include:

• The Global Impact of Regenerative Medicine: Are current healthcare systems positioned to maximize the benefit of these technologies?
• Case Presentation: Cell & Tissue Models in Drug Discovery & Development: How Regen Med Companies Help Pharma in 2013
• Reimbursement in Regenerative Medicine: Will anyone pay for this?
• Financing Regenerative Medicine & Advanced Therapies: What types of investors can and will fund late stage development?
• Regulatory Challenges & Strategies for Regen Med Companies: Insight for navigating the regulatory pathway
• FDA Oversight of Clinical Trials with Cell Therapies (Featured speaker: Celia Witten, Ph.D., M.D., FDA)
• Understanding & Demonstrating Commercial Viability: How can regenerative medicine companies do this better?

In addition, the meeting will feature 50+ presentations from the following companies and academic institutions: