A Phase I/IIa Dose Escalation Safety Study of AST-OPC1 in Patients with Cervical Sensorimotor Complete Spinal Cord Injury

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Grant Award Details

Grant Type:

Strategic Partnership III Track A

Grant Number:

SP3A-07552

Investigator(s):

Name:

Francois Binette

Institution:

Lineage Cell Therapeutics, Inc.

Type:

Disease Focus:

Neurological Disorders, Spinal Cord Injury

Human Stem Cell Use:

Embryonic Stem Cell

Award Value:

$14,323,318

Status:

Closed

Progress Reports

Reporting Period:

Year 1

In the past year, we have made significant process in the conduct of our clinical study and in process development efforts. We completed enrollment of the first cohort in our clinical study (The SCiSTAR study). This clinical study will test three sequential escalating doses of AST-OPC1 administered at up to 20 million AST-OPC1 cells in 13 patients with sub-acute, C-5 to C-7, neurologically complete cervical SCI. These individuals have essentially lost all sensation and movement below their injury site with severe paralysis of the upper and lower limbs. AST-OPC1 will be administered 14 to 30 days post-injury and patients will be followed by neurological exams and imaging methods to assess the safety and activity of the product. Additional information on the Phase 1/2a study, including trial sites, can be found at www.clinicaltrials.gov, using Identifier NCT02302157, and at the SCiStar Study Website (www.scistarstudy.com). The first safety cohort of three patients were enrolled and successfully dosed with 2 million cells. The results of the study continue to support a robust safety profile for AST-OPC1, with no serious adverse events observed in any of the three treated patients to date. We recently reported that the first patient in the study has progressed from a complete ASIA Impairment Scale (AIS) A injury to an incomplete AIS B injury. This level of recovery is observed in less than 5 percent of our AIS A patients at this stage of their recovery. The Company expects to begin enrollment of the second dose cohort following Data Monitoring Committee review of the 30-day post-injection safety data from all three patients in 4Q15. The second cohort will enroll five patients who will receive 10 million AST-OPC1 cells. We also continue to make progress on improving the process for AST-OPC1 manufacture as well as determining additional cellular markers which correlate with potency and the presence of undesired populations of cells. Our focus for process development continues to be identifying a process which is robust and consistently provides high-quality AST-OPC1.

Reporting Period:

Operational Milestone #A

We have been able to make tremendous progress on our AST-OPC1 program since the initiation of the CIRM grant in October, 2014. In February 2016, the FDA granted Orphan Drug Designation for AST-OPC1. Orphan Drug designation is a special status that the FDA may grant a drug intended to treat a rare disease or condition. Orphan Drug Designation qualifies the sponsor of the drug for certain benefits and incentives, including seven years of marketing exclusivity following regulatory approval, and financial incentives such as potential tax credits for certain activities and waiver of certain administrative fees. We have also made significant process in the conduct of our clinical study and in process development efforts. We completed enrollment of the first cohort in our clinical study (The SCiStar study). This clinical study will test three sequential escalating doses of AST-OPC1 administered at up to 20 million AST-OPC1 cells in patients with sub-acute, C-5 to C-7, neurologically complete cervical spinal cord injuries (SCI). These individuals have essentially lost all sensation and movement below their injury site with severe paralysis of the upper and lower limbs. AST-OPC1 will be administered 14 to 30 days post-injury and patients will be followed by neurological exams and imaging methods to assess the safety and activity of the product. Additional information on the Phase 1/2a study, including trial sites, can be found at www.clinicaltrials.gov, using Identifier NCT02302157, and at the SCiStar Study Website (www.scistar-study.com). At 3 months post-injection the first patient in the first cohort had demonstrated neurological improvement progressing from a complete ASIA Impairment Scale (AIS) A injury to an incomplete AIS C injury. Recruitment is currently underway in the second cohort of the study, in which five patients will be administered a dose of 10 million AST-OPC1 cells, the first of two dose cohorts designed to bracket the predicted optimal dose range of AST-OPC1 based on the preclinical studies. We also continue to make progress on improving the process for AST-OPC1 manufacture as well as determining additional cellular markers which correlate with potency and the presence of undesired populations of cells. Our focus for process development continues to be identifying a process which is robust and consistently provides high-quality AST-OPC1.

Reporting Period:

Operational Milestone OM#B

• In 3Q16, the Data Monitoring Committee (DMC) for the SCiSTAR clinical study granted clearance to begin dosing a cohort of AIS-A patients with the highest planned dose of 20 million AST-OPC1 cells. The decision was based on the DMC’s independent safety review of data from the 2 million cell and 10 million cell AIS-A cohorts. On November 3, 2016, Asterias successfully dosed the first AIS-A patient with 20 million cells of AST-OPC1. No serious adverse events related to AST-OPC1 have been observed in any treated patient to date. • Enrollment in the 5-subject AIS-A 10 million cell cohort was completed in July, 2016. In September, 2016, Asterias presented positive efficacy data from this cohort, including the following highlights: o The efficacy target of 2 of 4 patients in the cohort achieving two motor levels of improvement on at least one side of their body had already been achieved by Day 90 of follow up: at this time point in followup, 4 of 4 patients dosed had improved motor function on at least one side and 2 patients had improved one motor level on at least one side, with one improving two motor levels on one side, and one improving two motor levels on both sides. o The average upper extremity motor scores (UEMS) improvement at Day 90 for the 4 patients that had reached this follow up was 9.5 points compared to 5.0 points at Day 90 for patients dosed with 2 million cells, which may also begin to support a dose dependent response. o As suggested by existing research, patients with complete cervical spinal cord injuries that show two motor levels of improvement on at least one side may regain the ability to perform daily activities such as feeding, dressing and bathing. Meaningful improvement in motor function, particularly in the use of a patient’s hands, fingers and arms, is critically important for a patient’s quality of life and ability to function independently. Consistent with their improvements in motor level and UEMS, subjects in the SCiSTAR study have demonstrated improvements in their ability to independently perform activities of daily living including feeding themselves, drinking, texting, sending emails, and signing their names.

Reporting Period:

Operation Milestone OM: #D

Grant Application Details

Application Title:

A Phase I/IIa Dose Escalation Safety Study of [REDACTED] in Patients with Cervical Sensorimotor Complete Spinal Cord Injury

Public Abstract:

The proposed project is designed to assess the safety and preliminary activity of escalating doses of human embryonic stem cell derived oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) for the treatment of spinal cord injury. OPCs have two important functions: they produce factors which stimulate the survival and growth of nerve cells after injury, and they mature in the spinal cord to produce myelin, the insulation which enables electrical signals to be conducted within the spinal cord.

Clinical testing of this product initiated in 2010 after extensive safety and efficacy testing in more than 20 nonclinical studies. Initial clinical safety testing was conducted in five subjects with neurologically complete thoracic injuries. No safety concerns have been observed after following these five subjects for more than two years. The current project proposes to extend testing to subjects with neurologically complete cervical injuries, the intended population for further clinical development, and the population considered most likely to benefit from the therapy. Initial safety testing will be performed in three subjects at a low dose level, with subsequent groups of five subjects at higher doses bracketing the range believed most likely to result in functional improvements. Subjects will be monitored both for evidence of safety issues and for signs of neurological improvement using a variety of neurological, imaging and laboratory assessments.

By completion of the project, we expect to have accumulated sufficient safety and dosing data to support initiation of an expanded efficacy study of a single selected dose in the intended clinical target population.

Statement of Benefit to California:

The proposed project has the potential to benefit the state of California by improving medical outcomes for California residents with spinal cord injuries (SCIs), building on California’s leadership position in the field of stem cell research, and creating high quality biotechnology jobs for Californians. Over 12,000 Americans suffer an SCI each year, and approximately 1.3 million people in the United States are estimated to be living with a spinal cord injury. Although specific estimates for the state of California are not available, the majority of SCI result from motor vehicle accidents, falls, acts of violence, and recreational sporting activities, all of which are common in California. Thus, the annual incidence of SCI in California is likely equal to or higher than the 1,400 cases predicted by a purely population-based distribution of the nationwide incidence. The medical, societal and economic burden of SCI is extraordinarily high. Traumatic SCI most commonly impacts individuals in their 20s and 30s, resulting in a high-level of permanent disability in young and previously healthy individuals. At one year post injury, only 11.8% of SCI patients are employed, and fewer than 35% are employed even at more than twenty years post-injury (NSCISC Spinal Cord Injury Facts and Figures 2013). Life expectancies of SCI patients are significantly below those of similar aged patients with no SCI. Additionally, many patients require help with activities of daily living such as feeding and bathing. As a result, the lifetime cost of care for SCI patients are enormous; a recent paper (Cao et al 2009) estimated lifetime costs of care for a patient obtaining a cervical SCI (the population to be enrolled in this study) at age 25 at $4.2 million. Even partial correction of any of the debilitating consequences of SCI could enhance activities of daily living, increase employment, and decrease reliance on attendant and medical care, resulting in substantial improvements in both quality of life and cost of care for SCI patients. California has a history of leadership both in biotechnology and in stem cell research. The product described in this application was invented in California, and has already undergone safety testing in five patients in a clinical study initiated by a California corporation. The applicant, who has licensed this product from its original developer and recruited many of the employees responsible for its previous development, currently employs 17 full-time employees at its California headquarters, with plans to significantly increase in size over the coming years. The successful performance of the proposed project would enable significant additional jobs creation in preparation for pivotal trials and product registration.