Biotech company Geron will partner with GE Healthcare to develop products made from human embryonic stem cells that may help discover and develop new drugs, the companies said today. The terms of the deal weren’t disclosed but Geron’s stock is up 17% in mid-day trading. Geron got the nod from the FDA in January to conduct a small trial using stem cells to treat people with spinal-cord injuries. A number of large drug makers, like Pfizer, J&J, GlaxoSmithKline and Roche, have also expressed interest in developing stem-cell treatments. And in March, President Obama lifted the restrictions banning federal funding of research using embryonic stem

cells, which can turn into any cells in the body. Last month, GE unveiled its “Healthymagination” effort, that includes a $3 billion initiative to develop products to lower costs, increase access and improve health-care quality, noted the WSJ . “This agreement marks a further step in GE Healthcare’s cell technology strategy aimed at addressing the potential of stem cell applications in the drug discovery and therapy markets,” Konstantin Fiedler, general manager of cell technologies at GE Healthcare, said in a statement. Image of spinal cord with damaged myelin via CDC

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Geron, GE Healthcare Strike Stem-Cell Deal