Lineage Cell Therapeutics, Inc. has announced the formation of a Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) to provide strategic advice and analysis on the development of Lineage’s cell transplantation portfolio, based on AlloSCOPE (Allogeneic, Scalable, Consistent, Off-the-shelf, Pluripotent Cell Engineering), the company’s proprietary platform for cell differentiation and expansion. Dr. Joachim Fruebis, a renowned leader with extensive experience in ophthalmology, neurology, diabetes, and other therapeutic areas, is the founding member of the SAB. He has been a pioneer in cellular therapy strategies and the integration of advanced technologies to accelerate drug discovery cycles. Other members are expected to join the SAB by the end of the year.
Meanwhile, the company has announced the appointment of Dr. Priyantha Herath as Senior Vice President and Head of Clinical Operations. Dr. Fruebis is a accomplished scientist and leader with a career marked by innovation in R&D within the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors. His broad expertise includes small molecules, biologics, and advanced therapies in various areas, including ophthalmology, neurology, diabetes, obesity, as well as cardiovascular, metabolic, and rare diseases.
Dr. Fruebis has led cellular therapy strategies and the integration of groundbreaking approaches to reduce drug discovery timelines. He has a strong track record in executive leadership roles, launching program portfolios and coordinating internal and external research initiatives. His ability to lead interdisciplinary teams across various therapeutic modalities is recognized, as well as his strategic leadership in bringing new therapies from concept to commercialization, supported by extensive experience in organizational structuring, business development, and mergers and acquisitions.
Dr. Fruebis most recently served as Vice President of Cell Therapy R&D at Novo Nordisk, following a role as Development Director at BlueRock Therapeutics, Inc. Prior to that, he was Senior Vice President of Clinical Development at Bioverativ (a Sanofi company), where he led the rare disease program portfolio. Before Bioverativ, Dr. Fruebis worked at Bayer as Vice President and Global Head of Programs for several areas, including hematology and ophthalmology. In this role, he led global cross-functional teams responsible for advanced clinical phase development and commercialization of several products, including the Eylea®, Kovaltry®, and Jivi® franchises. Earlier in his career, he served as Vice President of External R&D Innovation at Pfizer, focusing on rare diseases, ophthalmology, cardiovascular, and metabolic areas.
Dr. Fruebis holds a Ph.D. and Master’s degree in biology from the University of Kaiserslautern in Germany, with research conducted at UC San Diego’s Department of Medicine. Dr. Priyantha Herath, Lineage’s new Senior Vice President and Head of Clinical Operations, is a board-certified neurologist in the United States. He brings extensive clinical development expertise, ranging from early translational research and Phase I trials to the successful completion of multiple Phase III studies. Dr. Herath has broad clinical experience in neurodegenerative disorders, including Huntington’s disease (HD), parkinsonian syndromes (PD, MSA, LBD, PSP), ataxias (SCA, FA), Alzheimer’s disease, and frontotemporal dementia.
He is an expert in cognitive neuroscience, stereotaxy, multimodal brain imaging (quantitative PET, high-field MRI, and magnetic resonance spectroscopy), and fluid biomarkers. Recently, he led the clinical group for the severe myasthenia gravis (MG) portfolio at Argenx, overseeing the strategic clinical and regulatory development of several advanced-phase programs, including the successful completion of two Phase III clinical trials in seronegative MG and ocular MG. Prior to Argenx, he served as Clinical Lead in Neurology at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, leading early clinical development of RNAi therapeutic programs for HD, SOD1-linked ALS, and other emerging programs for the central nervous system (CNS). Before Alnylam, Dr. Herath was Medical Director at Voyager Therapeutics, overseeing the HD program and several AAV gene therapy programs for the CNS.
At Jazz Pharmaceuticals, he managed the execution of a Phase II clinical trial for Parkinson’s disease. He also served as a clinical consultant for Alchemab, Inc. and other biotechnology companies on early-phase CNS program development. Through these roles, Dr. Herath has gained extensive experience in clinical development and regulatory interactions with multiple national agencies at each stage of drug development. Before Jazz, Dr. Herath was Associate Professor of Clinical Neurology at the University of Kansas Medical Center and the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, combining patient care, medical research, and teaching.
In his clinical roles, Dr. Herath has treated over 20,000 patients with various neurodegenerative disorders. This direct contact has given him a deep understanding of the presentation of pathologies, their progression, and significant clinical outcomes. Throughout his career, he has also founded and led several multidisciplinary clinics dedicated to movement disorders, Parkinson’s disease, and deep brain stimulation, including at the Kansas City Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Baylor, Scott & White Medical Center in Round Rock, Texas.
Dr. Herath earned his medical degree from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, and a Ph.D. in Neurosciences from the Karolinska Institutet. Early in his career, he served as a civilian combat trauma surgeon at the National Hospital (SJGH) in Sri Lanka, performing surgeries for landmine injuries and caring for patients with spinal cord injuries, among others.
