Study of Subretinal Implantation of Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived RPE Cells in Advanced Dry AMD

The study will include two cohorts, each of 10 patients. For the first cohort, the study
population will be patients with advanced, dry AMD with evidence of significant geographic
atrophy involving the fovea. These patients will have significant central vision loss with
best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of the eye to be implanted of BCVA of 20/200 or worse.
Each of these patients will have substantial RPE and photoreceptor loss. Patients will be
screened for overall health status to minimize risks associated with retinal surgery and any
subsequent immunosuppression.

As the safety and tolerability of CPCB-RPE1 is demonstrated in the first cohort, patients
with less advanced disease will be recruited into a second cohort in this Phase I/IIa
clinical trial. In this second cohort patients will have significant central vision loss with
BCVA of the eye to be implanted of 20/80 or worse, but better than or equal to 20/400 with
comparably less damage to the RPE/photoreceptor complex than Cohort 1. These patients will be
screened in the same manner for overall health status to minimize risks associated with
retinal surgery and any subsequent immunosuppression. Assessments of visual function will be
the same as in Cohort 1.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Patients able to understand and willing to sign the informed consent

2. Adult male or female patients with the age of 55 to 85 (inclusive) years who are not
employees of the trial sites

3. In sufficiently good health to reasonably expect survival for at least five years
after treatment

4. Clinical findings consistent with advanced dry AMD with evidence of one or more areas
of ≥1.25 square millimeter of geographic atrophy involving the central fovea

5. Geographic atrophy defined as attenuation or loss of RPE as observed by biomicroscopy,
OCT, or FAF

6. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of the eye to receive the implant will be
equal or worse than 20/200 in the first half of the study patients and between 20/80
and 20/400 (inclusive) in the second half of the patients. The BCVA of the eye that is
NOT to receive the implant will be better or equal to the eye that will receive the
implant

7. Medically suitable to undergo pars plana vitrectomy and the surgical implant
procedure, including being able to position post-operatively and use post-operative
medications as required

8. Medically suitable for general anesthesia or monitored intravenous sedation, if needed

9. Patients who are pseudophakic or aphakic in the study eye

10. If designated as an organ donor, willing to forego live organ donation

11. Willing to consent to the post-mortem removal of the implant from the treated eye for
the sponsor's analysis. The patient may also elect to donate the implanted and fellow,
untreated eye, for histological analysis.

12. Able to understand the requirements of the study and willing and able to participate
in long term follow up.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Presence of active or inactive choroidal neovascularization (CNV)

2. Presence or history of retinal dystrophy, retinitis pigmentosa, chorioretinitis,
central serous choroidopathy or any other inflammatory ocular disease except dry eye
syndrome

3. Presence or history of severe, end-stage corneal dystrophy

4. History of steroid induced ocular hypertension or glaucoma

5. Presence of moderate to severe glaucomatous optic neuropathy in the study eye,
uncontrolled IOP, use of two or more topical agents to control intraocular pressure;
history of glaucoma-filtering surgery

6. Presence of moderate to severe non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy in the study eye

7. Presence of any proliferative diabetic retinopathy in the study eye

8. Presence of uncontrolled diabetes mellitus (HbA1c > 8) at the time of screening

9. History of retinal detachment or retinal detachment repair in the study eye other than
peripheral retinal tears or holes treated exclusively with laser or cryotherapy

10. Presence of any other sight-threatening ocular disease

11. History of cognitive impairments or dementia which may impact the patient's ability to
participate in the informed consent process and to appropriately complete evaluations

12. History of any immunodeficiency

13. Evidence of herpetic or other viral eye disease

14. Any current use of immunosuppressive therapy other than intermittent or low dose
corticosteroids

15. Participation within previous 3 months in any clinical trial of a drug by ocular or
systemic administration (within previous 18 months for sustained release products)

16. Axial myopia of greater than -8 diopters in the eye that is to be implanted

17. Axial length greater than 28 mm in the eye that is to be implanted

18. History of malignancy within the past 5 years (with the exception of successfully
treated [excised] basal cell carcinoma [skin cancer] or successfully treated squamous
cell carcinoma of the skin)

19. History of myocardial infarction in previous 12 months

20. Alanine transaminase/aspartate aminotransferase (ALT/AST) >3.0 times the upper limit
of normal or any known liver disease

21. Renal insufficiency, as defined by estimated creatinine clearance of < 45 ml/min

22. A positive (or "reactive") test for HIV, or Hepatitis B, or Hepatitis C

23. A hemoglobin concentration of less than 10 gm/dl, a platelet count of less than
100K/µL or an absolute neutrophil count of less than 1000/µL at study entry

24. Ocular lens removal within the previous 6 weeks in either eye

25. Any other ocular surgery in the study eye in the previous 3 months

26. If female, pregnancy, the wish to become pregnant, or lactation

27. Any other medical condition, which, in the Investigator's judgment, will interfere
with the patient's ability to comply with the protocol, compromises patient safety, or
interferes with the interpretation of the study results