Advanced pathway analysis tool offered to LifeMap’s GeneCards’ users in more than 3,000 institutions in academia, research hospitals, and leading biopharma companies
ALAMEDA, Calif., February 4, 2015 – LifeMap Sciences, Inc. (“LifeMap”), a subsidiary of BioTime, Inc., announced today a partnership agreement with Advaita Corporation, which develops and sells iPathwayGuide, an advanced web-based pathway analysis platform capable of identifying mechanisms of action and potential drug targets directly from gene-expression experiments. Under the agreement, iPathwayGuide will be integrated into LifeMap’s GeneCards® database of human genes, and offered to GeneCards’ large user base of life scientists.
“We are excited to introduce iPathwayGuide to our user base and believe that it fits well with our GeneCards Plus tools and our extensive knowledgebase related to genes, pathways, cells and diseases,” stated Yaron Guan-Golan, Chief Marketing Officer of LifeMap Sciences.
In 2014, LifeMap launched its premium platform, GeneCards Plus, a set of tools for biomedical research powered by the Company’s popular integrated knowledgebase and discovery platform. By offering iPathwayGuide LifeMap is expanding its offering of research tools to provide an advanced and unique tool that is easy to use, easy to interpret, and fits all budgets. Unlike other pathway analysis applications that assume all genes to be independent, iPathwayGuide considers the size, role, and position of each gene on the pathway as it models high-throughput sequencing data. This advanced approach allows users to quickly prioritize targets and pathways, avoiding false positive and false negative results. In addition to its advanced pathway and gene ontology (GO) analysis, iPathwayGuide also offers the ability to identify putative mechanisms that can explain all observed expression changes, as well as identify the miRNAs that can play an important role in the condition under study.
GeneCards Plus includes GeneAnalytics,™ (http://geneanalytics.genecards.org/) a novel gene set analysis tool, GeneALaCart (http://genealacart.genecards.org), the GeneCards batch querying application and VarElect (http://varelect.genecards.org), the Next Generation Sequencing phenotyper. LifeMap holds the exclusive worldwide license to market GeneCards, MalaCards, GeneAlaCart, and VarElect from Yeda Research and Development Company Ltd., the commercial arm of the Weizmann Institute of Science.
“We are thrilled by the opportunity to partner with LifeMap Sciences, the provider of GeneCards, one of the most comprehensive databases of gene information. We think that our iPathwayGuide is a strong addition at the end of any analysis pipeline and a natural fit in the LifeMap suite of tools,” said Dr. Sorin Draghici, President and CEO of Advaita.
About LifeMap Sciences, Inc.
LifeMap Sciences’ (www.lifemapsc.com) core technology and business is based on its integrated biomedical knowledgebase and discovery platform. This platform includes GeneCards®, the leading human gene database, MalaCards, the human disease database, and LifeMap Discovery®, the cells, tissues and development database, as well as our GeneCards Plus analysis tools VarElect, the Next Generation Sequencing (“NGS”) phenotyper and GeneAnalytics™, a novel gene set analysis tool. LifeMap’s NGS gene variant prioritization platform utilizes the GeneCards Plus tools and provides a streamlined solution that leverages the LifeMap integrated knowledgebase to deliver cutting edge results, including the prioritization of gene variants derived from NGS. LifeMap’s products are used in more than 3,000 institutions including academia, research hospitals, patent offices, and leading biopharma. LifeMap Sciences intends to continually improve the quality of its products, and is pursuing several new Internet and informatics products with substantial, rapid-revenue growth potential. LifeMap Sciences also intends to extend its offerings to the field of mobile health via its subsidiary, LifeMap Solutions, Inc.
About Advaita, Inc.
Advaita Bioinformatics is a leader in the development of analytic solutions for biological data. Founded in 2005 with headquarters near Ann Arbor, Michigan, Advaita’s novel analysis helps translate the gigabytes of genomic data produced as a result of gene-expression experiments into a better understanding of the underlying biological phenomena. Advaita’s patented approach delivers results and insights that cannot be achieved with any other commercial analysis software. iPathwayGuide is the first web application capable of identifying mechanisms of action and potential drug targets directly from gene-expression experiments. This unique ability helps researchers quickly zero in on drug targets and validate drug candidates with the greatest potential for success while avoiding costly dead ends. For more information, please go to www.AdvaitaBio.com.
About the Weizmann Institute of Science and GeneCards
The Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, is one of the world’s top-ranking multidisciplinary research institutions. Noted for its wide-ranging exploration of the natural and exact sciences, the Institute is home to scientists, postdoctoral fellows, Ph.D. and M.Sc. students, and scientific, technical and administrative staff. In addition, visiting scientists and their families – over 500 from 35 countries are regularly hosted at the Institute. The Institute was founded in 1934 following a donation to Dr. Chaim Weizmann, a noted biochemist and biotechnologist, who envisioned the establishment of a world-class scientific research center in Israel, and later also became the first President of the State of Israel. Weizmann Institute’s Feinberg Graduate School, established in 1958, has 1200 M.Sc. and Ph.D. students enrolled in studies covering the Institute’s five faculties: Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics and Computer Science. The Institute’s technology transfer arm, Yeda Research and Development Co. was the first company of its kind in Israel, and is currently one of the most successful worldwide. Institute research efforts include the search for new ways of fighting disease and hunger, examining leading questions in mathematics and computer science, probing the physics of matter and the universe, creating novel materials and developing new strategies for protecting the environment. Particular excellence in bioinformatics and systems biology is manifested, among others, in the GeneCards project, initiated in 1996, under the leadership of Prof. Doron Lancet of the Dept. of Molecular Genetics, Head of the Crown Human Genome Center. A team of 10 led by Marilyn Safran continuously innovates and keeps GeneCards as a world-top human gene compendium, automatically mining and integrating 100 worldwide web resources.
About BioTime
BioTime is a biotechnology company engaged in research and product development in the field of regenerative medicine. Regenerative medicine refers to therapies based on stem cell technology that are designed to rebuild cell and tissue function lost due to degenerative disease or injury. BioTime’s focus is on pluripotent stem cell technology based on human embryonic stem (“hES”) cells and induced pluripotent stem (“iPS”) cells. hES and iPS cells provide a means of manufacturing every cell type in the human body and therefore show considerable promise for the development of a number of new therapeutic products. BioTime’s therapeutic and research products include a wide array of proprietary PureStem® progenitors, HyStem® hydrogels, culture media, and differentiation kits. Renevia™ (a HyStem® product), is now in a pivotal trial in Europe as a biocompatible, implantable hyaluronan and collagen-based matrix for cell delivery in the treatment of HIV-related lipoatrophy. In addition, BioTime has developed Hextend®, a blood plasma volume expander for use in surgery, emergency trauma treatment and other applications. Hextend® is manufactured and distributed in the U.S. by Hospira, Inc. and in South Korea by CJ HealthCare Corporation, under exclusive licensing agreements.
BioTime is also developing stem cell and other products for research, therapeutic, and diagnostic use through its subsidiaries:
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Asterias Biotherapeutics, Inc. is developing pluripotent stem-cell based therapies in neurology and oncology, including AST-OPC1 oligodendrocyte progenitor cells in spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis and stroke, and AST-VAC2, an allogeneic dendritic cell-based cancer vaccine.
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BioTime Asia, Ltd., a Hong Kong company, may offer and sell products for research use for BioTime’s ESI BIO Division.
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Cell Cure Neurosciences Ltd. is an Israel-based biotechnology company focused on developing stem cell-based therapies for retinal and neurological disorders. OpRegen™ is currently in a Phase I/IIa clinical trial for the treatment of the dry-form of age-related macular degeneration. .
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ESI BIO is the research and product marketing division of BioTime, providing stem cell researchers with products and technologies to enable them to translate their work into the clinic, including PureStem® progenitors and HyStem® hydrogels.
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LifeMap Sciences, Inc. markets, sells, and distributes GeneCards®, the leading human gene database, as part of an integrated database suite that also includes the LifeMap Discovery® database of embryonic development, stem cell research, and regenerative medicine, and MalaCards, the human disease database.
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LifeMap Solutions, Inc. is a subsidiary of LifeMap Sciences focused on developing mobile health (mHealth) products.
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OncoCyte Corporation is developing products and technologies to diagnose and treat cancer, including PanC-Dx™, with four clinical studies currently underway.
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OrthoCyte Corporation is developing therapies to treat orthopedic disorders, diseases and injuries.
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ReCyte Therapeutics, Inc. is developing therapies to treat a variety of cardiovascular and related ischemic disorders, as well as products for research using cell reprogramming technology.
Additional information about BioTime can be found on the web at www.biotimeinc.com
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements pertaining to future financial and/or operating results, future growth in research, technology, clinical development, and potential opportunities for BioTime and its subsidiaries, along with other statements about the future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans, or prospects expressed by management constitute forward-looking statements. Any statements that are not historical fact (including, but not limited to statements that contain words such as “will,” “believes,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “estimates”) should also be considered to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, risks inherent in the development and/or commercialization of potential products, uncertainty in the results of clinical trials or regulatory approvals, need and ability to obtain future capital, and maintenance of intellectual property rights. Actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements and as such should be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect the business of BioTime and its subsidiaries, particularly those mentioned in the cautionary statements found in BioTime’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings. BioTime disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
CONTACTS:
LifeMap Sciences, Inc.
Kenneth Elsner
CFO and General Counsel
ke@lifemapsc.com
781.826.7719
BioTime, Inc.
Judith Segall
jsegall@biotimemail.com
510.521.3390, ext. 301
TriplePoint PR for LifeMap Sciences
lifemapsci@triplepointpr.com
415.955.8500
Alyx Evans 
Kaitlyn Red Wing 