StemCells, Inc. (NASDAQ:STEM), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of cell-based therapeutics to treat diseases of the central nervous system and liver, recently announced the company’s support of the National Neurotechnology Inititative Act, an initiative to foster new discoveries and accelerate the development of new and safer treatments for brain-related injuries or diseases.

Recently introduced by a bipartisan group of members of both houses of Congress, the National Neurotechnology Inititative Act aims to fast track the development of scientific discoveries into actual products or treatments by improving neuroscience research coordination among various Federal agencies. This act will benefit StemCells’ ongoing research and development by providing the full cooperation of legislators, regulators, clinical investigators and institutional review boards who ultimately determine the fate of promising new approaches and therapies.

StemCells is aware of the hurdles involved in getting a novel neuroscience treatment to market. The company has pioneered the discovery and development of HuCNS-SC® cells, its highly purified, expandable population of human neural stem cells. StemCells has completed enrollment and dosing of a six patient Phase I clinical trial of its proprietary HuCNS-SC product candidate as a treatment for neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL) and expects the trial to be completed in early 2009.

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