SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K


CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934


Date of Report (date of earliest event reported): January 3, 2012



BioTime, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

California

1-12830

94-3127919

(State or other jurisdiction
of incorporation)

 

(Commission File Number)

 

(IRS Employer

Identification No.)

1301 Harbor Bay Parkway
Alameda, California 94502
(Address of principal executive offices)

(510) 521-3390
(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))


Statements made in this Report that are not historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed.  Such risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to those discussed in this report and in BioTime's other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Words such as “expects,” “may,” “will,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements.

Section 8 - Other Events

Item 8.01 - Other Events.

BioTime, Inc. will market progenitors of muscle stem cells bearing hereditary diseases. BioTime will work with five human embryonic stem (hES) cell lines from Reproductive Genetics Institute (RGI) of Chicago, Illinois carrying genes for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy, spinal muscular atrophy Type I, facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy 1A, and Becker muscular dystrophy.

In the first quarter of this year, we will offer medical researchers normal muscle progenitors that we have already produced from our existing hES cell lines, and later in 2012 we plan to add to our product line the novel muscle progenitor cells produced from RGI cell lines bearing the five abovementioned muscle diseases. We will generate the stem cell research products using our proprietary ACTCellerateTM technology which yields highly purified and characterized progenitor cell types useful to the research community for applications such as drug screening, with the goal of discovering new therapies for these devastating diseases. The progenitor cells are relatively easy to manufacture on a large scale and in a highly purified state, which may make it advantageous to work with these cells as opposed to hES cells.

Section 9 - Financial Statements and Exhibits

Item 9.01 - Financial Statements and Exhibits.

Exhibit Number

Description

99.1 Press release dated January 3, 2012



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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

BIOTIME, INC.

 

Date:

January 3, 2012

By: /s/ Michael D. West                

      Chief Executive Officer



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Exhibit Number

Description

99.1

Press release dated January 3, 2012




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