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caution on bgn Australian biotechnology company BresaGen has greeted the positive
vote in the Senate today for the Research Involving Embryos and
Prohibition of Human Cloning Bills with great enthusiasm but a note
of caution.

BresaGen Vice President, Clinical Development, Dr Chris Juttner
commented: "We are very pleased that the Bill has passed with a
strong majority 45 for, 26 against. However, Senator Boswell's
moves to ban the export of stem cell lines and stem cell products via
the customs regulations and without public debate, pose a significant
threat to effectively developing Australia's role in this important
scientific area.

"BresaGen is ready to develop therapeutic stem cell lines in
Australia and we have developed relationships with IVF clinics to do
this," he said. "But an export ban could make this work worthless."

BresaGen already has four research embryonic stem cells lines which
the company developed in the US and which are registered with the
National Institutes of Health. Product development will require new
therapeutic stem cell lines.