Beta-Pro Expands Operations to Meet Demands for Human Cells in Hepatocyte Drug Discovery Market

Beta-Pro LLC, announced today that it has expanded its operations to accommodate increasing demands from pharmaceutical drug discovery and research institutes in the $2 billion hepatocyte market. The human cellular sciences company now manages extensive laboratory facilities in the University of Virginia Research Park in Charlottesville, Virginia.

"Beta-Pro has already established a foothold in the human pancreatic islet cell market and has consistently been able to supply diabetes researchers and transplant centers with high-quality, clinical and transplantable human islets and other pancreatic biomaterials," said Beta-Pro Principle Scientific Advisor and Professor of Surgery at the University of Virginia, Kenneth L. Brayman, M.D., Ph.D. "Based on our success we are now broadening the focus of our cellular services to include liver biology and the needs of pharmaceutical companies in testing drugs in human hepatocyte-cell cultures."

Beta-Pro partners with leading pharmaceutical companies and research organizations including: Pfizer, Eli Lilly, Genentech, Merck, Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation (GNF), and The Broad Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Beta-Pro's new laboratory is designated as a good laboratory practice (GLP) facility and is now fully operational. The company has moved its snap-frozen cell bank to the new location and will use the facility to focus on hepatocytes and other human cell applications, including drug discovery services and toxicology screening using human cells.

About Beta-Pro

Beta-Pro isolates and distributes human pancreatic islet cells, acinar tissue, hepatocytes, adipose-derived stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells, and other biomaterials from surplus organs not placed for whole organ transplant in GMP and GLP facilities. The company also offers custom drug discovery and toxicology testing services using human cells for potential pharmacological applications. Beta-Pro charges and recovers fees for the costs for organ procurement, processing, preservation, quality control, storage, handling, and delivery of islets, other biomaterials, and biological data. For more information, call (434) 973-9456 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (434) 973-9456 end_of_the_skype_highlighting or visit www.betaprolabs.com.