Lineage Cell Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing allogeneic, off-the-shelf cell therapies for serious medical conditions, announced the formation of a Scientific Advisory Board to provide strategic guidance for its cell transplant pipeline and proprietary AlloSCOPE platform.
The Scientific Advisory Board is being established to support the advancement of Lineage’s differentiated approach to scalable and consistent cell therapy development. Joachim Fruebis, Ph.D., has been named as the founding member, bringing extensive experience across multiple therapeutic areas and a track record of leading research and development initiatives in biotechnology and pharmaceutical organizations.
In addition to the advisory board formation, the company appointed Priyantha Herath, M.D., Ph.D., as Senior Vice President and Head of Clinical Operations. Dr. Herath brings deep expertise in clinical development, regulatory strategy, and neurological disorders, having led multiple late-stage clinical programs and treated more than 20,000 patients with neurodegenerative diseases.
Lineage’s AlloSCOPE platform underpins its therapeutic approach, enabling the scalable production of allogeneic cell therapies derived from a single pluripotent cell line. The platform is designed to deliver consistent, cost-effective manufacturing across multiple programs, supporting the development of treatments targeting conditions such as age-related macular degeneration, spinal cord injuries, and auditory neuropathy.
The company stated that additional members are expected to join the Scientific Advisory Board over time as it continues to expand its leadership and scientific capabilities.
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“We are excited to establish a Scientific Advisory Board with Joachim as its founding member. He is a distinguished executive who brings a powerful combination of cross-therapeutic expertise and real-world development experience to our mission. His specific insights in ophthalmology, neurology, and diabetes will help guide the evolution of our cell therapy platform and help to translate our innovations into clinical and commercial success. We look forward to providing updates on further appointments to our SAB throughout the year.”
Brian M. Culley, CEO, Lineage Cell Therapeutics
“In addition, we are pleased to announce the appointment of Priyantha Herath, M.D., Ph.D., as Senior Vice President and Head of Clinical Operations for Lineage. Priyantha is a Board-certified specialist neurologist, with extensive experience spanning early translational development, regulatory affairs and clinical development through successful Phase 3 clinical trial execution. He brings a broad clinical perspective to Lineage, having treated more than 20,000 patients with neurodegenerative diseases in varied phenotypes, direct patient care which has contributed to a deep understanding of disease presentation, progression, and meaningful outcomes. We welcome his expertise and leadership in this new role as we look to advance our innovative cell therapy programs through preclinical and clinical development.”
Brian M. Culley, CEO, Lineage Cell Therapeutics
