Press Releases
BioTime Presents Updated OpRegen® Phase I/IIa Trial Data at AAO
- There were no treatment-related serious adverse events after 15 months
- Signs of engraftment and cell survival have been maintained
Dr.
OpRegen® is composed of differentiated retinal pigment epithelium cells derived from human stem cells under xeno-free conditions. Observations of the ongoing PI/IIa open-label study and the results to date show that both the surgical procedure used to inject the OpRegen® cells, as well as OpRegen®, were well tolerated. OpRegen® showed continued long-term safety through 15 months and there were no treatment-related systemic serious adverse events to date. In addition to safety and tolerability, imaging suggests signs of engraftment and cell survival.
“We believe that administration of OpRegen® cells may ultimately prove to be a potential therapeutic option for dry-AMD subjects and are currently actively enrolling additional subjects to further understand the possibility it represents for these patients,” commented Dr.
To view the actual presentation, please refer to the events and presentation section of the
About OpRegen®
OpRegen®, which is being studied for the treatment of the dry form of AMD, consists of a suspension of Retinal Pigment Epithelial (RPE) cells that are delivered subretinally during a simple intraocular injection. RPE cells are essential components of the back lining of the retina, and function to help nourish the retina including photoreceptors. A proprietary process that drives the differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells is used to generate high purity OpRegen® RPE cells. OpRegen® RPE cells are also “xeno-free," meaning that no animal products are used at any point in the derivation and production process. The avoidance of the use of animal products eliminates some potential safety concerns. Preclinical studies in rats have shown that following a single subretinal injection of OpRegen®, the cells can rapidly organize into its natural monolayer structure in the subretinal space and survive throughout the lifetime of the animal. OpRegen® is designed to be an “off-the-shelf” allogeneic (non-patient specific) product. Unlike treatments that require multiple, frequent injections into the eye, it is expected that OpRegen® would be administered in a single procedure. OpRegen® was granted Fast Track designation from the FDA, which allows more frequent interactions with the agency, and eligibility for accelerated approval and priority review. OpRegen® is a registered trademark of Cell Cure Neurosciences Ltd., a majority-owned subsidiary of BioTime, Inc.
About
BioTime is a late stage clinical biotechnology company focused on developing and commercializing products addressing degenerative diseases. The Company’s current clinical programs are targeting three primary sectors, aesthetics, ophthalmology and cell and drug delivery. Its clinical programs are based on two platform technologies: pluripotent cells, which can become any type of cell in the human body, and cell/drug delivery. Renevia®, a cell delivery product, met its primary endpoint in an EU pivotal clinical trial for the treatment of facial lipoatrophy in HIV patients earlier this year. Submission for approval of Renevia® in the EU is expected to be early 2018, with possible approval and commercial launch in 2018. There were no device related serious adverse events reported. OpRegen®, a retinal pigment epithelium transplant therapy, is in a Phase I/IIa multicenter trial for the treatment of dry age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in developing countries. There were no related serious adverse events reported. BioTime also has significant equity holdings in two publicly traded companies, Asterias Biotherapeutics, Inc. (NYSE American: AST) andOncoCyte Corporation (NYSE American: OCX), and a private company, AgeX Therapeutics, Inc.
BioTime common stock is traded on the NYSE American and TASE under the symbol BTX. For more information, please visit www.biotime.com or connect with the company on Twitter, LinkedIn,
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View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171115005559/en/
Source:
Investor Contact:
BioTime
David Nakasone, 510-871-4188
Dnakasone@biotime.com
Media Contact:
JQA Partners, Inc.
Jules Abraham, 917-885-7378
jabraham@jqapartners.com