Lineage Cell Therapeutics(US:LCTX)2020-05-29 21:18Company Overview - Lineage Cell Therapeutics is a clinical-stage cell therapy company focused on manufacturing and transplanting specific cell types to treat injuries and diseases[4] - The company's product candidates are allogeneic ("off-the-shelf"), facilitating large-scale production and lower costs compared to patient-specific treatments[4] - Lineage technologies are covered by hundreds of ES and iPS cell therapy-related patents, providing opportunities for additional collaborations[6] OpRegen® for Dry AMD - OpRegen is in Phase 1/2a clinical trial for Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) with Geographic Atrophy (GA), with 4 patients to enroll in the ongoing phase[5] - Clinical findings to date show OpRegen RPE cells have been well-tolerated, with most Cohort 4 patients (4 out of 5) showing improved vision at the 1-year time point or last available visit[16] - Evidence suggests slower growth of Geographic Atrophy (GA) in OpRegen-treated areas compared to untreated areas[18] - The company has an exclusive option on the use of the Gyroscope Orbit Subretinal Delivery System ("Orbit SDS") for delivering cells for dry AMD, which aims to reduce adverse events[34] - Dry AMD affects approximately 11 million people in the United States, representing 85-90% of AMD cases, with no approved therapies currently available[36] VAC Platform - The VAC platform consists of in vitro production of mature dendritic cells (DCs) loaded with either a tumor antigen (for cancer) or a viral antigen (for infectious diseases)[42] - A strong clinical response was reported with an earlier, autologous version of VAC (VAC1), and ongoing phase 1 data (VAC2) supports mechanism-based immunogenicity[45] - In prior VAC clinical studies, 19 out of 20 (95%) of patients had detectable antigen-specific CD8+ T cells[48] OPC1 for Spinal Cord Injury - OPC1 is a cell therapy product candidate for spinal cord injury, consisting of manufactured oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs)[50] - The company has received over $14 million in support from CIRM for the OPC1 program[5, 50] - In a Phase 1/2a study, 96% of subjects reported improved motor function after OPC1 treatment[54] Financial Status - As of March 31, 2020, Lineage had approximately $25.8 million in cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities[60] - The company also has a convertible note receivable from Juvenescence, valued at approximately $24.6 million at maturity (August 30, 2020)[60]