LifeMap Sciences, a Subsidiary of BioTime, Announces Release of LifeMap DiscoveryTM Version 1.1 with Enhanced …

ALAMEDA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

LifeMap Sciences, Inc., a subsidiary of BioTime, Inc. (NYSE MKT: BTX), announced today the release of LifeMap DiscoveryTM version 1.1 (discovery.lifemapsc.com). LifeMap DiscoveryTM is a key component in LifeMaps integrated database suite, a discovery platform for biomedical and stem cell research, which also includes GeneCards, the leading human gene database, and MalaCards, the human disease database. LifeMap DiscoveryTM version 1.1 includes significant enhancements of content related to disease targets for stem cell therapy, cells involved in various diseases (such as Parkinsons disease and age related macular degeneration), and a large number of newly added genes relevant to developmental and stem cell biology.

According to Google Analytics, the integrated database suite had more than 13,000,000 page views and more than 2,000,000 unique visitors in the past 12 months. LifeMap clients and partners include dozens of large, fee-paying pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, as well as leading government patent offices, and its products are used free of charge by scientists at more than a thousand academic institutions worldwide. The integrated database suite also provides a technological foundation for thepotential development of additional LifeMap databases and services that will leverage significant and growing web traffic. Moreover, the platform drives life scientists to the LifeMap BioReagents portal, which offers cutting-edge stem cell reagents. LifeMap Discovery itself is rapidly becoming utilized by researchers and has already reached an audience of 10,000 unique visitors since its launch in November 2012 according to Google Analytics, demonstrating the power of integration between the databases to drive rapid user-base growth across various components of the integrated database suite.

LifeMap Discovery is a state-of-the-art roadmap of embryonic development and stem cell biology. The platform integrates embryonic development and stem cell biology with molecular, cellular, anatomical, and disease-related information, and provides data-mining capabilities and bioinformatics applications. LifeMap Discovery is a unique and powerful tool for research and discovery in multiple disciplines, including stem cell biology, developmental biology and disease mechanisms and etiology. The platform is not only valuable for clinical applications involving stem differentiation and therapies, it will continue to be a key to future product development.

LifeMap DiscoveryTM is also a key component of LifeMaps recently announced therapeutic discovery collaboration with BioTime. The collaboration utilizes two approaches for identifying stem cell-based therapeutic candidates based on selected PureStem cell lines that are most likely to be useful in developing cell-based regenerative medicine therapies. The first approach is targeting selected diseases with large unmet medical needs for which clear and relatively fast regulatory paths exist. The second approach is screening for PureStem cell lines that are suitable for developing therapies for a wide range of diseases to be followed with selecting the most commercially attractive product candidates. By combining the two approaches the companies expect the collaboration to generate a robust pipeline of high value product candidates. The two companies will share revenues resulting from commercialization of successful product candidates that are discovered via the collaboration and have already filed for patent protection on inventions jointly made by the teams with an expectation to greatly accelerate the pace of discovery of potential cures for the deadly degenerative diseases of aging.

LifeMap DiscoveryTM version 1.1 new features and information include the following:

LifeMap DiscoveryTM, Version 1.1, offers a significant leap forward in the information we offer scientists in many areas of biomedical research such as developmental and stem cell biology, said Ronit Shtrichman, PhD, MBA, Vice President of Biology at LifeMap Sciences. We will continue to increase our offering of curated biological data, providing the scientific, biotech and pharma communities with a key resource for their research and discovery efforts in the stem cell and regenerative medicine fields.

We are delighted to see the rapid improvement of LifeMap Discoverys features and content, stated Yaron Guan-Golan, Head of Marketing at LifeMap Sciences. The recent growth in traffic is a strong signal that LifeMap Discovery answers a clear need for a comprehensive knowledgebase for developmental biologists and stem cell researchers.

About LifeMap Sciences, Inc.

LifeMap Sciences (www.lifemapsc.com) core technology and business is based on its integrated database suite, the discovery platform for biomedical and stem cell research. This platform includes GeneCards, the leading human gene database; LifeMap Discovery, the database of embryonic development, stem cell research and regenerative medicine; and MalaCards, the human disease database. LifeMap Sciences also markets PanDaTox, an innovative, recently developed, searchable database that can aid in the discovery of new antibiotics and biotechnologically beneficial products.

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LifeMap Sciences, a Subsidiary of BioTime, Announces Release of LifeMap DiscoveryTM Version 1.1 with Enhanced ...