Lineage Cell Therapeutics, Inc. has announced the formation of a Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) aimed at providing strategic advice and insights 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. The founding member of the SAB is Dr. Joachim Fruebis, a recognized leader with extensive experience in ophthalmology, neurology, diabetes, and other therapeutic areas. He has been a pioneer in cell therapy strategies and the integration of cutting-edge technologies to accelerate drug discovery cycles. Other members are expected to join the SAB by the end of the year.
Additionally, 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 whose career has been marked by innovation in R&D within the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors. His in-depth expertise spans small molecules, biologics, and advanced therapies in multiple areas, including ophthalmology, neurology, diabetes, obesity, as well as cardiovascular, metabolic, and rare diseases.
His track record includes driving cell therapy strategies and integrating breakthrough technological 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 multidisciplinary teams across various therapeutic modalities is recognized, as is his strategic leadership in bringing new therapies from conception to commercialization, supported by solid experience in organizational structuring, business development, and mergers and acquisitions.
Dr. Fruebis most recently served as Vice President of Cellular Therapy R&D at Novo Nordisk, after serving as Development Director at BlueRock Therapeutics, Inc. Previously, he was Senior Vice President of Clinical Development at Bioverativ (a Sanofi company), where he was responsible for the rare disease program portfolio. Prior to Bioverativ, Dr. Fruebis held positions 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 development and commercialization of multiple products, including the Eylea®, Kovaltry®, and Jivi® franchises. Earlier in his career, he was Vice President of External R&D Innovation at Pfizer, covering rare diseases, ophthalmology, and cardiovascular and metabolic areas.
Dr. Fruebis holds a PhD and a master’s degree in biology from the University of Kaiserslautern, Germany, for work conducted at the UC San Diego School 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 has extensive expertise in clinical development, ranging from early translational research and phase I trials to the success of multiple phase III studies. Dr. Herath has broad clinical experience in neurodegenerative disorders, including Huntington’s disease (HD), parkinsonian syndromes (PD, MSA, CBD, 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, where he oversaw the strategic clinical development and regulatory strategy of several advanced-phase programs, including successfully completing two phase III clinical trials in seronegative MG and ocular MG. Prior to Argenx, he served as a clinical lead in neurology at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, overseeing 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 a Medical Director at Voyager Therapeutics, leading 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-stage CNS program development. Through these roles, Dr. Herath has gained solid experience in clinical development and regulatory interactions with multiple national agencies at each stage of drug development. Before Jazz, Dr. Herath was an associate professor of clinical neurology at the University Medical Center of Kansas 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 diseases. This direct contact has given him a deep understanding of disease presentations, progression, and significant clinical outcomes. Throughout his career, he has 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 in Sri Lanka and his PhD in neuroscience from the Karolinska Institutet. Early in his career, he served as a civilian trauma surgeon in combat traumatology at the National Hospital (SJGH) in Sri Lanka, operating on landmine injuries and caring for patients with spinal cord injuries, among others.
