Scimitar Equity Blog

    Completed ISO 10993 biocompatibility studies for HyStem^®-Rx; the results of these preclinical studies demonstrated the safety and biocompatibility of HyStem^®-Rx. The first clinical application of HyStem^®-Rx will be for use with autologous adipose cells to restore subcutaneous tissue lost as a result of injury, oncologic resection, or congenital defects.

• Plans for the development of PanC-Dx^TM, OncoCyte Corporation’s novel diagnostic device to detect the presence of various human cancers (including cancers of the breast, lung, bladder, uterus, stomach, and colon) through blood tests administered during routine check-ups. Initial studies have indicated that PanC-Dx^TM may be useful for detecting a much wider range of cancer types than those detected by blood tests currently available to clinicians.

• Announced, with XenneX, the inclusion of cell identification data in GeneCards® 3.07 available at www.genecards.org. The new GeneCards® identifies BioTime’s ACTCellerate™ human embryonic progenitor cell lines that express specific gene expression markers and links users directly to BioTime’s commercial database. GeneCards® is an integrated database of human genes that includes automatically mined genomic, proteomic, and transcriptomic information, with a major focus on functional genomics and the role of genes in diseases.

• Elected to market progenitors of muscle stem cells bearing hereditary diseases; BTX will produce the products from five human embryonic stem cell lines acquired from Reproductive Genetics Institute. The muscle cell lines display the genes for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy, spinal muscular atrophy Type I, facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy 1A, and Becker muscular dystrophy. When developed, the progenitor cell lines will be marketed to researchers seeking new treatment modalities for these diseases.

• Obtained an exclusive license from The Wistar Institute for technology related to a gene designated as SP100. Wistar Institute researchers have demonstrated pivotal roles for this gene in both cancer and stem cell biology. In conjunction with the license agreement, BioTime agreed to fund research at The Wistar Institute to advance the technology, and will have certain rights to negotiate additional licenses for any technologies invented as a result of the research.

• Entered into a worldwide license agreement withCornellUniversityfor the development and commercialization of technology developed at Weill Cornell Medical College for the differentiation of human embryonic stem cells into vascular endothelial cells. The technology may provide an improved means of generating vascular endothelial cells on an industrial scale, and may be utilized by BTX and its subsidiaries in a diverse array of products, including products under development at ReCyte Therapeutics, Inc. to treat age-related vascular disease, as well as products being developed at OncoCyte Corporation targeting the delivery of toxic payloads to the developing blood vessels of cancerous tumors

• Entered into a Sponsored Research Agreement under which scientists at Weill Cornell Medical College will engage in research with three goals: 1) verifying the ability of progenitor cells that are derived by ReCyte Therapeutics, Inc. using its proprietary ACTCellerate™ technology to generate stable populations of vascular endothelial cells, 2) testing the functionality and transplantability of vascular endothelial cells in animal models to see if the transplanted cells generate new vascular tissue, and 3) using Hystem^® hydrogels as scaffolds for the three-dimensional propagation of vascular endothelial cells into vascular tissues suitable for transplantation.

• Appointed, Andrew C von Eschenbach, MD to BTX and OncoCyte Corporation’s Board of Directors. Dr. von Eschenbach is the President of Samaritan Health Initiatives, Inc., a health care policy consultancy, and is an Adjunct Professor atUniversityofTexas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. von Eschenbach served as Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration from 9/05 to 1/09, after serving as Director of the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health.

• Appointed, Peter S Garcia as BTX’s CFO. Mr. Garcia served as CFO of 6 biotech and high-tech companies over the past 16 years, and was instrumental in leading multiple merger and acquisition transactions for those companies.