SBI Principal Investigators Launch Ireland's First Centre for Stem Cell Manufacture in NUI Galway
The Centre for Cell Manufacturing Ireland (CCMI) was launched at NUI Galway today. It is the first facility in Ireland to receive a licence from the Irish Medicines Board to manufacture culture-expanded stem cells for human use. The facility in Galway, opened today by Minister Seán Sherlock, positions Ireland as a global player in the regenerative medicine field and is a significant development for the med tech sector as a whole.
Speaking at the launch, Professor Tim O’Brien, SBI Principal Investigator and Director of the Centre for Cell Manufacturing Ireland said “the presence of this facility in Ireland positions us well to develop new therapies for a broad array of clinical problems which do not have effective treatments today. It will also allow us to translate discoveries from the basic stem cell research programme led by [SBI Principal Investigator] Professor Frank Barry at the Science Foundation Ireland-funded REMEDI to the clinic and to be competitive for grant funding under the Horizon 2020 programme of the EU.”
Minister of State for Research and Innovation Seán Sherlock said that “The Centre for Cell Manufacturing Ireland is clear evidence of the potential benefits offered by this Government’s substantial investment in applied research. Stem cell technology, developed in the first instance to help patients with diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, heart disease and critical limb ischemia, can also create sustainable growth and jobs in Ireland’s smart economy by making researchers’ visions a reality.”
The Minister also said “the facility will play a key role in ensuring REMEDI’s continued success in EU funding initiatives, in particular Horizon 2020”. The Minister added that the Government, through SFI, will work to ensure that Ireland maximises its participation in the Horizon 2020 programme.
Further information:
The Centre for Cell Manufacturing Ireland
Minister Sherlock Opens Ireland’s First Human Use Stem Cell Manufacturing Facility at NUI Galway
Ireland's first stem cell facility for human use to open at NUIG [audio] Morning Ireland, RTE Radio 1, 27.01.2014
