Benzinga | Oct 28, 2020 08:07AM EDT

AgeX Therapeutics Sublicenses Stem Cell Line ESI-053 To ImStem Biotechnology Tor Development Of Cell Therapy Candidate IMS001 For COVID-19 And Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

* Emerging Preclinical and Clinical Data Support Potential of Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) to be Useful in COVID-19 and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) from Other Causes

* ImStem's MSC Product Candidate IMS001 is Derived from AgeX's Stem Cell Line ESI-053

* IMS001, which Recently Gained FDA IND Clearance to Begin Human Study in Multiple Sclerosis, to be Considered for Development in COVID-19 and ARDS More Generally

AgeX Therapeutics, Inc. (NYSE:AGE), a biotechnology company developing innovative regenerative therapeutics to treat human diseases to increase healthspan and combat the effects of aging, and ImStem Biotechnology, Inc. ("ImStem"), a biopharmaceutical company developing embryonic stem cell (ESC) derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), today announced that ImStem has obtained from AgeX a non-exclusive, royalty-bearing sublicense to use AgeX's clinical-grade ESC line ESI-053 to derive ImStem's investigational MSC product candidate IMS001 for development in COVID-19 as well as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) from other causes.

ImStem will endeavor to file one or more investigational new drug (IND) applications for IMS001 in COVID-19 and/or ARDS with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or equivalent EU regulatory agency within 18 months. Under the agreement, AgeX will be entitled to receive revenues in the form of royalties on the sale of IMS001 if successfully developed by ImStem and approved for marketing by the FDA or foreign regulatory authorities, as well as a share of certain other revenues that ImStem may receive in connection with the development or commercialization of IMS001, in COVID-19 and ARDS.

This latest sublicensing arrangement between AgeX and ImStem is a continuation of AgeX's strategy to expand access to its ESI stem cell lines for use in the generation of cellular therapies. An ImStem publication in Stem Cell Reports (2014;3:115-130) showed in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis that MSCs derived from ESCs outperformed adult bone marrow MSCs. This ultimately led to research and commercial sublicense agreements for the ESI-053 ESC line by ImStem to develop IMS001 as an allogeneic, off-the-shelf and industrially scalable MSC product candidate. Earlier this year, the FDA cleared an IND application for IMS001 in multiple sclerosis. IMS001 is believed to be the first MSC product derived from an ESC line to be accepted for a human trial by the FDA.

Results from early clinical studies conducted in China by unrelated groups using different MSC products suggest MSCs warrant further exploration in COVID-19. First, a human study published in Aging and Disease (2020;11:216-228) showed that an intravenous infusion of adult-derived MSCs reduced COVID-19 symptoms and improved functional outcomes in seven treated patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. The MSCs appeared to be safe and well tolerated. Second, a clinical study published in Stem Cell Research & Therapy (2020;11:361) demonstrated that 12 severe COVID-19 patients who received an infusion of umbilical cord MSCs recovered without requiring mechanical ventilation and were discharged home. Even before being explored in COVID-19, MSCs were being investigated as a therapeutic option in ARDS, and emerging data in preclinical models is encouraging. However, the manufacturing scalability of adult MSCs may limit their use. ARDS is a respiratory condition characterized by inflammation and increased endothelial and epithelial permeability to protein, leading to fluid accumulation in the lungs, hemorrhage, cell injury, diffuse alveolar damage, and blockage of oxygen from getting to vital organs. ARDS affects around 200,000 patients in the U.S. every year, accounts for 10% of intensive care admissions, and has a mortality of approximately 40%, with 75,000 deaths in the U.S. annually. No specific direct therapies exist for ARDS and only supportive treatment is available.

"The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact hundreds of millions of people, with many countries now in the midst of a second wave. Antivirals, antibodies and cell therapies may all ultimately play a role in combating this disease, depending upon severity or stage. We are glad to expand our relationship with ImStem, so it can now utilize AgeX's ESI-053 stem cell line to develop its cell therapy candidate IMS001 for COVID-19 as well as acute respiratory distress syndrome more broadly," said Dr. Nafees Malik, Chief Operating Officer of AgeX. "This latest sublicense is an example of AgeX's strategy to place our technologies in the hands of high-quality industry and academic partners, with this deal marking the sixth research and commercial arrangement AgeX has entered into this year."

The ESI stem cell lines are distinguished as the first clinical-grade human pluripotent stem cell lines created under current Good Manufacturing Practice as described in Cell Stem Cell (2007;1:490-4). They are listed on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Stem Cell Registry and are among the best characterized and documented stem cell lines in the world. ESI cells are among only a few pluripotent stem cell lines from which a derived cell therapy product candidate has been granted FDA IND clearance for human studies.

"We welcome the opportunity to continue to collaborate with AgeX and explore future development of our mesenchymal stem cell IMS001 product in COVID-19 and ARDS from other causes. Importantly, our product may overcome the important issue of limited manufacturing scalability associated with adult tissue derived MSCs," commented Xiaofang Wang, M.D., Chief Technology Officer of ImStem Biotechnology.