17 June 2021 - - US-based biotechnology company Lineage Cell Therapeutics, Inc. (NYSE American: LCTX) (TASE: LCTX) hs granted an exclusive option to biopharmaceutical company Amasa Therapeutics, Inc to acquire an exclusive, royalty-bearing license to use Lineage's HyStem technology for the development and commercialization of therapies for local treatment of solid tumors under pre-negotiated terms, the company said.

Under the option agreement, Amasa will purchase certain amounts of Lineage's existing supply of clinical-grade HyStem biomaterial and has the right to purchase additional amounts in connection with its up to 12-month option to acquire the exclusive license.

Lineage will receive an upfront cash payment and, if the option is exercised, would be entitled to additional payments, including event-specific payments, royalties on net sales and sublicense fees and royalties.

HyStem is a patented biomaterial that is made from and structurally mimics naturally occurring extracellular matrix, the structural network of molecules surrounding cells in organs and tissues that is essential to cellular function and tissue structure.

The technology underlying the HyStem hydrogels is based on a unique thiol cross-linking strategy. Building upon this technology, the HyStem family of hydrogels are novel biomaterials that offer unique strategies for cell therapy and bioactive molecule delivery.

A distinctive feature of the HyStem hydrogel is that it allows the mixture of cells with the matrix in a liquid form such that the cells and matrix can be injected easily through a small gauge syringe, and then the matrix can polymerize around the cells to create a three-dimensional tissue within the body.

When implanted in HyStem hydrogels, cells remain attached and localized within the hydrogel and slowly degrade the implanted matrix and replace it with their natural extracellular matrices.

Current research at leading medical institutions has shown that HyStem is compatible with a wide variety of cells and tissue types including brain, bone, skin, cartilage, vascular and heart tissues.

Lineage has developed a family of hyaluronan based hydrogels (HyStem) that mimics the natural extracellular matrix and has potential applications in 3-D cell culture, stem cell propagation and differentiation, tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, cell-based therapies, and as delivery vehicles for bioactive molecules.

HyStem hydrogels were designed to recapitulate the minimal composition necessary to obtain a functional extracellular matrix.

The individual components of the hydrogels are cross-linkable over time, and thus may be seeded with cells prior to in vivo injection, without compromising either the cells or the recipient tissues.

HyStem hydrogels have been shown to support attachment and proliferation of a wide variety of cell types in both 2-D and 3-D cultures and provide timed release of proteins and other bioactive moieties.

HyStem hydrogels exhibit a high degree of biocompatibility when implanted in vivo and are readily degraded in vitro and biodegrade in vivo through hydrolysis via naturally occurring enzymes.

When implanted in HyStem hydrogels, cells remain attached and localized within the hydrogel and slowly degrade the implanted matrix and replace it with their natural EC.

When used as a delivery vehicle, bioactive molecules are released by both diffusion as well as degradation of the hydrogel.

The patented technology underlying Lineage's HyStem hydrogel products in development, such as Renevia, has been exclusively licensed to Lineage for human therapeutic uses.

Since the first published report in 2002, there have been over 300 academic scientific publications supporting the biocompatibility of thiol cross-linked hyaluronan-based hydrogels and their applications as medical devices and in cell culture, tissue engineering, and animal models of cell-based therapies.

Due to the unique cross-linking chemistry, HyStem hydrogels have the ability to be formulated with cells and can be injected or applied as a liquid and form a gel in situ, which allows the hydrogel to conform to a cavity or space.

This property of HyStem hydrogels is expected to offer several distinct advantages over other hydrogels, including the possibility of combining bioactive materials with the hydrogel at the point of use.

Amasa Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel stem cell-based targeted biological therapeutics to treat cancer patients with unmet need.

Lineage Cell Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel cell therapies for unmet medical needs.