On February 22, 2023, Lineage Cell Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology firm focused on the development of allogeneic cell therapies to restore and replace specific cell types of the human body, announced that it has entered into an exclusive option and license agreement with Eterna Therapeutics Inc. (Eterna) for the development of innovative beta 2 microglobulin (B2M)-deficient induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines that Lineage will assess for the creation of unique, differentiated cell transplant therapies.
These new cell lines to be developed by Eterna are expected to help Lineage generate more product candidates for the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) conditions and other neurology indications. Eterna holds the exclusive license for the crucial intellectual property associated with this partnership, which it obtained from its discovery partner Factor Bioscience.
Following the agreement, Eterna intends to perform specific gene-editing activities and furnish materials to Lineage for assessment. In addition, the agreement grants Lineage the option to obtain an exclusive license to use and sublicense the new gene-edited cell lines for clinical, preclinical, and commercial purposes in the field of CNS diseases. A distinctive feature of the starting cell line is the targeted elimination of the B2M gene, which is aimed at minimizing the immunogenicity of product candidates generated from the cell lines by inhibiting rejection by CD8+ T cells.
Lineage anticipates that this attribute will enhance the overall usefulness of the edited cell lines, including non-immune privileged or non-human leukocyte antigen (HLA) matched indications. Other proposed gene modifications may additionally differentiate the cell line from those currently utilized by competitors. No details of the financial agreement were disclosed.
About Lineage Cell Therapeutics, Inc.
Founded in 1990, Lineage Cell Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing novel cell therapies to address unmet medical needs. The company's programs are based on its proprietary cell-based therapy platform and related development and manufacturing capabilities. By using this platform, it specializes in the development and manufacture of specialized, terminally-differentiated human cells from its progenitor and pluripotent cell starting materials. These differentiated cells are intended to either support or replace cells that are dysfunctional or absent due to degenerative disease or traumatic injury and can also be administered to help the body mount an effective immune response to cancer.