NEW YORK, March 31, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NeoStem, Inc. (Nasdaq:NBS) ("NeoStem" or the "Company"), a leader in the emerging cellular therapy industry, announced today that Lee Clough, RN, HP (ASCP), Director of Clinical Affairs & Apheresis for Progenitor Cell Therapy (PCT), a wholly-owned subsidiary of NeoStem, has been awarded the SHS Award from the American Society for Apheresis (ASFA). Ms. Clough will be presented with the award at the ASFA Annual Business Meeting Luncheon in San Francisco, CA on April 4, 2014.
The SHS award is given to an allied health member who has demonstrated sincere commitment to apheresis (a medical technology in which the blood of a patient is passed through an apparatus that separates out one particular constituent and returns the remainder to the circulation), and who has emerged as a leader and role model in the field. The SHS Award (short for The Society for Hemapheresis Specialists) was the first national organization in the United States which provided a forum for the professional development of technical specialists in the field of apheresis. This award commemorates the pioneering efforts of SHS which have culminated in the high standards and sophistication which characterize the field of American apheresis.
"I am excited and proud to be honored with this award by my peers for a job I love to do," said Ms. Clough. "I am committed to educating people about apheresis and training technicians to do it well. The job comes with a certain satisfaction in knowing that you are training people who will be out in the field saving lives."
Ms. Clough joined PCT in 2009 and is an integral part of PCT's cellular therapy business, as well as NeoStem's adult stem cell and cord blood collection, processing and storage business (NeoStem Family Storage). She regularly oversees the apheresis portion of PCT's clients' specific cellular therapy projects, writes and updates the company's apheresis procedures, trains staff in apheresis collection, and assists PCT's clients in assessing and training their collection sites for their clinical trial programs. She began her apheresis career at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and, prior to her time with PCT, she worked at Inova, managing five donor centers and a therapeutic apheresis center, and at Dendreon as an apheresis specialist. She earned her B.S.N. at the University of Delaware.
"The SHS award is a wonderful and deserved honor for Lee," said Dr. Robin Smith, Chairman and CEO of NeoStem. "She is a valued member of our clinical services team and provides expert direction for NeoStem Family Storage, as well as for many of our clients whose therapies require cells to be collected from patients. She truly embodies PCT's expertise in the sector and we are very proud of her and her work."
About NeoStem, Inc.
NeoStem is a leader in the emerging cellular therapy industry, pursuing the preservation and enhancement of human health globally through the development of cell based therapeutics that prevent, treat or cure disease by repairing and replacing damaged or aged tissue, cells and organs and restoring their normal function. The business includes the development of novel proprietary cell therapy products as well as a revenue-generating contract development and manufacturing service business. This combination has created an organization with unique capabilities for cost effective in-house product development and immediate revenue and cash flow generation. www.neostem.com
About PCT
Progenitor Cell Therapy (PCT), a wholly owned subsidiary of NeoStem, Inc., is a leading contract development and manufacturing organization in the cellular therapy industry. For more than 15 years, PCT has provided pre-clinical and clinical cGMP development and manufacturing services to 100+ clients, advancing regenerative medicine product candidates from the development stage all the way through to human testing. PCT has two cGMP-compliant, state-of-the art facilities in New Jersey and California and offers manufacturing of cell therapy-based products; engineering and innovation services; process and product development; cell and tissue processing; collection and storage; regulatory consulting; facility design, validation, and due diligence evaluations. www.pctcelltherapy.com
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements reflect management's current expectations, as of the date of this press release, and involve certain risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements include statements herein with respect to the successful execution of the Company's business strategy, including with respect to the Company's ability to develop and grow its business, the successful development of cellular therapies, including with respect to the Company's research and development and clinical evaluation efforts in connection with the Company's CD34 Cell Program and T Regulatory Cell Program and other cell therapies, including the future of the regenerative medicine industry and the role of stem cells and cellular therapy in that industry and the performance and planned expansion of the Company's contract development and manufacturing business. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. Factors that could cause future results to materially differ from the recent results or those projected in forward-looking statements include the "Risk Factors" described in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 13, 2014 and in the Company's periodic filings with the SEC. The Company's further development is highly dependent on future medical and research developments and market acceptance, which is outside its control.