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): August
16, 2012
BioTime,
Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
California |
1-12830 |
94-3127919 |
(State or other jurisdiction
|
(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 7 - Regulation FD
Item 7.01 - Regulation FD Disclosure
On August 16, 2012, we issued the press release filed as Exhibit 99.1, which is incorporated by reference.
Section 9 - Financial Statements and Exhibits
Item 9.01 - Financial Statements and Exhibits.
Exhibit Number |
Description |
99.1 | Press release dated August 16, 2012 |
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: |
August 16, 2012 |
By: |
/s/ Peter S. Garcia |
|
|
Chief Financial Officer |
Exhibit Number |
Description |
99.1 |
Press release dated August 16, 2012 |
2
Exhibit 99.1
BioTime and OncoCyte Corporation Publish Data on the Gene COL10A1 as a Marker and Potential Diagnostic for a Wide Array of Human Cancers
ALAMEDA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--August 16, 2012--BioTime, Inc. (NYSE MKT: BTX) and BioTime’s subsidiary OncoCyte Corporation today announced the publication of a scientific report on the gene COL10A1 and its potential as a marker for numerous types of human cancers. The paper, published in the peer-reviewed journal Future Oncology and available online today, describes the microarray-based approach used to identify COL10A1 as a pan-cancer biomarker with significantly elevated expression in diverse malignant tumor types including cancers of the breast, stomach, colon, lung, bladder, pancreas, and ovaries. In addition, the protein was shown to be specifically localized within tumor vasculature. Combined, these findings will be an important basis for the development and application of new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, including the measurement of Collagen Type X in the blood as a screen for the presence of cancer, the use of antibodies that recognize and bind to the protein to visualize and locate tumors in the body, and the targeted delivery of tumor-destroying agents.
“These findings are significant on several levels,” said Karen Chapman, PhD, Director of Bioinformatics at OncoCyte and lead author of the report. “COL10A1, the gene that encodes Collagen Type X, is normally only expressed in a specific zone within developing bones and is generally not expressed in most adult cells and tissues. This low background expression, taken together with the significant expression that we observed in many tumor types, underscores the potential use of this biomarker as a novel diagnostic and therapeutic target for many cancer types.”
“As a result of the studies described in today’s publication, OncoCyte has generated five proprietary monoclonal antibodies to Collage Type X for use in developing novel cancer diagnostics, imaging agents and targeted therapeutics,” said Joseph Wagner, PhD, CEO of OncoCyte and co-author of the study. “Given the broad expression of this protein across numerous tumor types and its association with tumor vasculature, characterization of this marker in cancer patients’ blood samples has become a priority at OncoCyte. Upon validation of their performance in detecting cancers from patient samples, these antibodies are candidates for inclusion in PanC-DxTM, a low-cost, easy-to-use product with broad cancer detection ability slated for launch in 2014.”
PanC-DxTM is being developed to detect the presence of a variety of human cancers, including cancers of the breast, lung, bladder, uterus, stomach, and colon, during routine check-ups. By facilitating early non-invasive cancer detection through a blood test, PanC-DxTM could lead to more successful therapeutic outcomes while simultaneously reducing the costs of cancer monitoring and globally increasing the availability of affordable cancer screening. OncoCyte first announced the development of PanC-DxTM during December 2011 and intends to launch the product in Europe in 2014 before seeking the required approval by the Food and Drug Administration to market PanC-DxTM in the United States.
About BioTime, Inc.
BioTime, headquartered in Alameda, California, is a biotechnology company focused on regenerative medicine and blood plasma volume expanders. Its broad platform of stem cell technologies is enhanced through subsidiaries focused on specific fields of application. BioTime develops and markets research products in the field of stem cells and regenerative medicine, including a wide array of proprietary ACTCellerate™ cell lines, HyStem® hydrogels, culture media, and differentiation kits. BioTime is developing Renevia™ (formerly known as HyStem®-Rx), a biocompatible, implantable hyaluronan and collagen-based matrix for cell delivery in human clinical applications. BioTime's therapeutic product development strategy is pursued through subsidiaries that focus on specific organ systems and related diseases for which there is a high unmet medical need. BioTime's majority owned subsidiary Cell Cure Neurosciences Ltd. is developing therapeutic products derived from stem cells for the treatment of retinal and neural degenerative diseases. BioTime's subsidiary OrthoCyte Corporation is developing therapeutic applications of stem cells to treat orthopedic diseases and injuries. Another subsidiary, OncoCyte Corporation, focuses on the diagnostic and therapeutic applications of stem cell technology in cancer, including the diagnostic product PanC-Dx™ currently being developed for the detection of cancer in blood samples. ReCyte Therapeutics, Inc. is developing applications of BioTime's proprietary induced pluripotent stem cell technology to reverse the developmental aging of human cells to treat cardiovascular and blood cell diseases. BioTime's subsidiary, LifeMap Sciences, Inc., markets GeneCards®, the leading human gene database, and is developing an integrated database suite to complement GeneCards® that will also include the LifeMap™ database of embryonic development, stem cell research and regenerative medicine, and MalaCards, the human disease database. LifeMap will also market BioTime research products. BioTime's lead product, Hextend®, is a blood plasma volume expander manufactured and distributed in the U.S. by Hospira, Inc. and in South Korea by CJ CheilJedang Corporation under exclusive licensing agreements. Additional information about BioTime can be found on the web at www.biotimeinc.com.
About OncoCyte Corporation
OncoCyte Corporation is a majority-owned subsidiary of BioTime, Inc. OncoCyte's mission is to develop novel products for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer in order to improve both the quality and length of life of cancer patients. OncoCyte's molecular diagnostics division is developing products for earlier detection of a variety of cancers. In addition to its diagnostic product line, OncoCyte is developing cellular therapies to treat cancer based on the unique biology of vascular precursor cells. The goal of OncoCyte's therapeutic research efforts is to derive vascular cells that can be engineered to deliver a toxic payload to the developing blood vessels of a malignant tumor to destroy the tumor without killing nearby normal tissues in the body. Additional information on OncoCyte can be found on the web at www.oncocyte.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements pertaining to future financial and/or operating results, future growth in research, technology, clinical development, and potential opportunities for BioTime and its subsidiaries, along with other statements about the future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans, or prospects expressed by management constitute forward-looking statements. Any statements that are not historical fact (including, but not limited to statements that contain words such as "will," "believes," "plans," "anticipates," "expects," "estimates") should also be considered to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, risks inherent in the development and/or commercialization of potential products, uncertainty in the results of clinical trials or regulatory approvals, need and ability to obtain future capital, and maintenance of intellectual property rights. Actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements and as such should be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect the business of BioTime and its subsidiaries, particularly those mentioned in the cautionary statements found in BioTime's Securities and Exchange Commission filings. BioTime disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
To receive ongoing BioTime corporate communications, please click on the following link to join our email alert list:
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=83805&p=irol-alerts
CONTACT:
BioTime, Inc.
Peter Garcia, 510-521-3390 ext. 367
Chief
Financial Officer
pgarcia@biotimemail.com
or
Judith
Segall, 510-521-3390 ext. 301
jsegall@biotimemail.com