AgeX Therapeutics

AgeX Therapeutics, Inc. is a biotechnology company founded in 2017 as a subsidiary of BioTime, Inc. by Dr. Michael D. West, a respected researcher in cellular aging, stem cell research, telomerase, and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT/”therapeutic cloning”). West previously founded Geron Corporation, which focused on telomerase-based therapeutics; under his leadership, Geron scientists and collaborators cloned the RNA component and later the catalytic component of  the enzyme. He also led the collaborative effort that resulted in the isolation of the first human pluripotent stem cells and conducted important research to create patient-identical pluripotent stem cells in human cells via SCNT. Age-X seeks to develop rejuvenation therapeutics that target the aging processes to extend healthy human lifespans.

In 2021, LyGenesis and AgeX announced their intention to negotiate a merger agreement. However, in July the two companies announced that they had discontinued negotiations, saying “The board of directors of AgeX and the board of directors of LyGenesis each determined that it was in the best interest of their respective shareholders not to proceed with the merger given the diversity of the companies’ technology platforms and product development focus.”

In March 2024, AgeX merged with Serina Therapeutics. We deem it likely that this marked the end of AgeX’s programs. In an article about the merger, officers of Serina described it as “an important step towards recognizing the potential to develop the POZ Platform to deliver novel medicines and treatment modalities” (referencing Serina’s proprietary delivery technology for small molecule drugs and biologics such as antibodies) by “accessing transformative capital to advance our platform technology,” and a representative of AgeX investor Juvenescence called it an “opportunity in the world of vaccines and in Parkinson’s disease.” Consistent with this focus on Serina’s projects, none of AgeX’s candidates are in evidence on Serina’s pipeline page or elsewhere on their website.

PureStem
PureStem technology uses pluripotent stem cells to generate  “young” cells of any type for potential application in a range of degenerative diseases of aging with a high unmet medical need. The company claimed to have subjected cells from over 200 diverse PureStem cell lines to “thousands of differentiation conditions, prepared RNA, and determined the gene expression pattern of the cells using gene expression microarrays. These experiments have shown that the PureStem cell lines display site-specific markers that identify not only the type of cells, but also where in the body the cells would normally reside. Therefore, in the example of cartilage cells, it was possible to produce diverse types of cartilage in this manner.”

Their UniverCyte technology was a separately-designated but integral technology to use HLA-G to create “universal” cells for transplantation, meaning that they would be immune-privileged and thus able to be transplanted into patients “off-the-shelf,” without the need for an immune match or for immunosuppression.

AgeX’s lead product utilizing PureStem® technology is AGEX-VASC1, which is a cell-based therapy in the preclinical stage of development comprised of vascular endothelial progenitor cells for cardiac ischemia as a lead indication. Following that was AGEX-BAT1, a preclinical brown adipocyte cell therapy product for the treatment of age-related metabolic disorders such as Type II diabetes.

iTR1547
AgeX described iTR as a platform aiming to unlock cellular immortality and regenerative capacity to reverse age-related changes in the body, with its lead drug-based therapeutic candidate being iTR1547.

Some animals, such as the axotl, salamanders, some species of fish, and to a lesser extent two species of African spiny mice, enjoy a profound lifelong regenerative potential in multiple tissues known as epimorphic regeneration, which extends in some cases the capacity to regrow amputated limbs starting from a bud structure blastema.

During the first weeks of life, humans also have the potential to do the same with structures such as fingertips, but it is rapidly lost during the development. If this profound regenerative capacity remains locked away in our cells, then in principle it is available for therapeutic reactivation. What is more, these pathways also appear to be instrumental in the aging process as well as cancer.

Using machine learning and advanced molecular technologies, AgeX claimed to have identified the key pathways that could potentially unlock this innate potent regenerative potential in adults. The company stated that iTR1547 was being tested in animal studies, but no published or publicly announced results were forthcoming.