Kansas City, Mo. (Feb. 14, 2008) – A 280,000 square foot commercial/industrial complex in south Kansas City, Missouri, will soon house the support functions and storage facilities of the Stowers Institute for Medical Research. The property, purchased and donated by Jim and Virginia Stowers, will also serve as the headquarters of BioMed Valley Discoveries, a for-profit translational R&D organization, whose mission is to develop basic biomedical discoveries into applications to improve human health.

     “By locating these important functions in this satellite location, we can more efficiently conduct scientific research operations at the Institute's world-class campus near the Plaza,” said William Neaves, Ph.D., President and CEO of the Institute.

     The property consists of nearly 15 acres at 8333 Hickman Mills Road in Kansas City, Missouri. It was previously owned and operated by Aventis/Sanofi. Initially, Stowers-related activities will occupy only a fraction of the facility’s total square footage. Renovation is scheduled to begin within 60 days and to be completed in early 2009. Total construction costs are projected at more than $20 million.

     BioMed Valley Discoveries’ CEO David Chao, Ph.D., said, "We are tremendously excited about the planned laboratory and administrative facilities, which will provide excellent incubator space for our research projects and start-up companies."

Stowers Support Facility/2
      Dr. Neaves said the Stowers Institute was pleased to make this new commitment to Kansas City, Missouri but cautioned that the Institute remains concerned about attempts to outlaw ethical stem cell research in Missouri. Dr. Neaves said, “We needed this new space to realize the full potential for accommodating research programs at our main campus, and we are pleased to have found it in Kansas City. However, before the Institute undertakes major expansion in this region, we need to be confident that the political environment in Missouri is science-friendly.”

About the Stowers Institute
     Housed in a 600,000 square-foot state-of-the-art facility on a 10-acre campus in the heart of Kansas City, Missouri, the Stowers Institute for Medical Research conducts basic research on fundamental processes of cellular life. Through its commitment to collaborative research and the use of cutting-edge technology, the Institute seeks more effective means of preventing and curing disease. The Institute was founded by Jim and Virginia Stowers, two cancer survivors who have created combined endowments of $2 billion in support of basic research of the highest quality.