The Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM) and the Alliance for Advanced Therapies (AAT) Merge to Create One Unified Voice for Next Generation Therapies in Europe and the U.S.

WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwired - Oct 16, 2014) - The Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM), along with its European sister organization, the Alliance for Advanced Therapies (AAT), today announced the leadership of both organizations has approved a Memorandum of Understanding to merge the membership of AAT into ARM. The result of this membership merger is the creation of one global organization operating on behalf of the advanced therapies and regenerative medicine sector (cell therapy, gene therapy and tissue engineering) in both the U.S. and Europe.

"This marks an important step in ARM's goal of geographic expansion. As our global footprint broadens, we are better positioned to make progress in ensuring harmonization of relevant regulatory pathways, sensible approaches to pricing and reimbursement and adoption of standards that support more efficient commercialization globally," said Geoff MacKay, Chairman of ARM and President and Chief Executive Officer of Organogenesis, Inc.

"We understand the value of a unified effort to better educate patients, policymakers, the media, the investment community and the general public about the significant benefits of these next-generation therapies, and are excited to work as one organization moving forward," said Eduardo Bravo, Co-chair, ARM European Section, former Chairman, Alliance for Advanced Therapies and Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, TiGenix.

As an international organization of more than 200 members, ARM currently has offices in Washington, DC and Brussels, Belgium. The membership merger was approved unanimously by the ARM Board of Directors at a meeting held last week prior to the start of the organization's largest annual conference, the 2014 Stem Cell Meeting on the Mesa. With over 750 attendees, including participants from 25 countries, this year's Meeting on the Mesa saw record attendance with nearly 40 sponsoring organizations and upwards of 600 scheduled one-on-one partnering meetings.

ARM hosts events in the U.S. and Europe to bring together emerging companies, large pharma, investors, research institutes, government agencies and medical philanthropies that provide opportunities to build awareness of new developments and encourage collaborative relationships.

"The growing number of participants and excellent programming being offered by ARM speaks to the organization's ability to meet the increasing interest in the field," said Robert Palay, Chief Executive Officer of Cellular Dynamics International. "ARM is a recognized and respected advocate for the companies and organizations involved in the regenerative medicine field who are working to bring life-saving therapies to patients."

About The Alliance for Regenerative Medicine
The Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM) is an international multi-stakeholder advocacy organization that promotes legislative, regulatory and reimbursement initiatives necessary to facilitate access to life-giving advances in regenerative medicine worldwide. ARM also works to increase public understanding of the field and its potential to transform human healthcare, providing business development and investor outreach services to support the growth of its member companies and research organizations. Prior to the formation of ARM in 2009, there was no advocacy organization operating in Washington, DC to specifically represent the interests of the companies, research institutions, investors and patient groups that comprise the entire regenerative medicine community. Today, ARM has more than 200 members and is the leading global advocacy organization in this field. To learn more about ARM or to become a member, visit www.alliancerm.org.

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