PRESS RELEASE May 23rd, 2010: Indianapolis, IN – General BioTechnology, a provider of safe, cost effective and quality driven stem cell manufacture, cryopreservation and banking methods is proud to be officially launching the ground breaking new technology, CellSeal(TM) cryogenic storage containers and accessories, at the International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT) 2010 show, in Philadelphia, PA, May 23rd – 26th. CellSeal(TM) is a patent-pending technology that provides the first cryogenic storage vials of their kind. CellSealTM allows for a completely sealed system that can be submerged under liquid nitrogen, while keeping aseptic retrieval post-thaw simple, safe and efficient. CellSeal(TM) Cryogenic Vials are the only completely closed devices of their kind available, and are made from state of the art materials under rigorous quality control.

Some of the benefits of this new technology include:

• Biocompatibility: vials are constructed with stable, USP Class VI materials (resistant to DMSO), sterilized via gamma irradiation and endotoxin tested.
• Quality: vials are manufactured under cGMP, with every unit produced subjected to a vacuum test among other quality measures to ensure ultimate protection of samples.
• Safety: vials are safe even in extreme conditions such as total submersion in liquid nitrogen, with no risk of explosion upon thawing when used correctly.
• Accessibility: CellSeal(TM) vials have a unique patent-pending design enabling easy loading of samples via inlet tubing which also allows for integral testsegments. Retrieval is simple and efficient as well via a sterile septum.

“With the emergence of clinical cellular therapies there came the need for more ideal systems to store cells in an efficient, closed, ready to use format. Especially with respect to smaller volumes of 1-5cc, such a system has not been available until now.” said Erik J. Woods, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of General BioTechnology. “We were pleased to take on development and testing of the CellSealTM line of products, and see this as a continuation of our company’s goal of meeting unmet critical needs in cellular therapy.”

CellSeal(TM) solves several issues for safe sample storage. The system was built to meet the demands of today’s transfusion medicine and cell therapy industry. As regulatory and accrediting bodies continue to focus on safety and good tissue practice (GTP) issues, the need for CellSeal(TM) and their product suites will continue to grow.

All CellSeal(TM) products are manufactured with quality as the priority. CellSeal(TM), both directly and through partnerships with contract manufacturers, employs an integrated system approach to quality management. Our quality activities are not limited to inspection and test. Quality is considered at the earliest stages of design, product transfer and throughout the product life-cycle.

Since 1997, General BioTechnology has provided safe, cost effective and quality driven manufacture, cryopreservation and banking methods for diverse cell and tissue types enabling personalized reproductive lives, therapy and medicine. To get more information on CellSeal(TM) please call: 800-265-0945 or email: info@cellseal.com

ABOUT General BioTechnology LLC (GBT)
GBT was founded in 1997 by former Indiana University School of Medicine researchers. The company was initially based on novel technologies including methods and devices specifically related to giving biological cells and tissues shelf life through cryopreservation and tissue engineering. General BioTechnology LLC has been awarded SBIR grants to improve the culture, expansion, cryopreservation and banking of such diverse cell and tissue types as human pancreatic islets of Langerhans, blood platelets, umbilical cord blood, peripheral blood stem cells and spermatozoa. The company has also won contracts with several other biotechnology companies as well as various universities to aid in development of cryopreservation, banking and logistical procedures for “fragile” unique cell and tissue types. Research sponsored by these programs has resulted in the development of several patents directly assigned to GBT and several others licensed back related to various levels of processing. Presently, GBT runs a GMP stem cell manufacturing program along with an AABB accredited commercial cord blood bank (The Genesis Bank) and an anonymous donor and autologous sperm bank (Genome Resources), and works closely with several other start-up biotechnology or medical device companies, including VialCo LLC, the original developer of the CellSealTM technology.