STEM CELL SOCIETY SINGAPORE

STEM CELL SOCIETY SYMPOSIUM 2012 “Stem Cell Based Therapy” 6th to 7th of September 2012 •Auditorium, Matrix Building Level 2, 30 Biopolis Street, Singapore 138671

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Dear Delegates, On behalf of the Stem Cell Society of Singapore (SCSS), we welcome you to the Society’s 4th Symposium. Following the success of previous Symposia, we have themed this meeting “Stem Cell Based Therapy”. This year, we have put the limelight on “Clinical Trials” and “Industrial Application of Stem Cells”. Keynote Speaker We are honoured to have as our Keynote Speaker, Dr. Robert Lanza from Advanced Cell Technology (ACT), who is pioneering human embryonic stem cell clinic trials for Stargardt’s disease, a juvenile form of macular degeneration of the eye. We are all keeping our “fingers crossed” for ACT’s success, which will also bring a big boost to the stem cell community. Day 1 Not forgetting the other types of stem cells, we have 3 sessions of Clinical Trials covering approaches to regenerate the heart, fighting cancer with T cells and neural stem cells, reconstructing the surface of the eye, and facilitating engraftment after bone marrow transplantation with mesenchymal precursor cells. In between these Clinical Trials, we also showcase a session of Emerging Asian Stem Cell Therapies with presentations from companies in India, Korea and Japan. Day 2 The next day, we have a Joint Session between SCSS and ISCT (International Society of Cell Therapy) covering important issues concerning the commercialization of stem cells; particularly addressing issues such as reimbursement, manufacturing, characterization and clinical implementation issues unique to cell therapies. This is followed by a session on Adult and Cancer Stem Cells and Disease Modeling and Drug Screening with human progenitors of pluripotent stem cells. We are confident that you will find the program we have assembled to be stimulating. We wish all of our international visitors an enjoyable stay in vibrant Singapore. (If you can, do stay on for the F1 Night Race, which is from the 21-23 Sept.) To all our local colleagues, we invite you to enthusiastically participate in the conference during the main meetings, luncheons with Speakers, posters sessions, lunchtime talks and networking gatherings. Enjoy the Feasts for your minds and for your appetites! Our warmest welcome to all and sundry! Huck-Hui NG President Stem Cell Society (Singapore)

Steve Oh Chairman Organizing Committee 2012

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SPEAKER

B.N.Manohar, CEO, Stempeutics Research Pvt. Ltd Bangalore – India

Bio: Manohar was appointed as President – Stempeutics Research, in August 2007 and later promoted as CEO. Stempeutics is a group company of Manipal Education & Medical Group. He is responsible for making Stempeutics a leading stem cell company in Asia. His responsibilities include – managing P&L, raising money, bringing best returns to the shareholders and delivering world class stem cell based products to the market at affordable price. Stempeutics aims to bring out their first product into the Indian and Malaysian markets in 2015. Stempeutics long-term objective is to market

their product “stempeucel” in the Asian, European and North American markets. A B.E graduate from Regional Engineering College – Trichy, in 1977 and a M.E graduate from Guindy Engg College, Madras in 1979, Manohar initially served in Indian Government Services for four years. Later he had two year stint in Lucas-TVS as a Software Executive and six years in W.S Industries, Chennai as Information Systems Manager. 1990 saw him take up a challenging assignment at Wipro GE Medical Systems as Manager Information Management. Two years later he was appointed as Project Manager to handle software development for GE Medical Systems – Asia. In 1994 he was promoted as Program Manager – Asia IT applications and was posted at GE Medical Systems, Singapore as an expat. After three years in Singapore he returned to India in 1996 to take up a challenging role as Vice President – Customer Service. He grew 3M$ service business to 12M$ in 4 years. Later he was promoted to the position of Chief Operating Officer for a newly formed IT Joint Venture – GE Medical Systems Information Technology, at Hyderabad. He made the company profitable from year one.

In the last ten years he has handled multiple roles in MEMG i.e. taking over a start-up Distance Education business and growing it to 18M$ in three years and starting a Clinical Process Outsourcing business with WIPRO. In April 2006 he was appointed as Chief Executive – Manipal Universal Learning, where he was responsible for establishing and propping up the new Education Services business consisting of On Line Assessment & Testing business, Vocational Education business and Engineering Twinning Education Program.

In Jan 2002 Manohar joined the Manipal Education & Medical Group (MEMG) as Chief Executive Officer- Manipal Infocom - a start up BPO Organization of MEMG. He made a significant contribution to the migration of the Call Center business into Manipal – Omega Healthcare BPO JV. 3|Page

Interview What was the first phenomenon you can recall that fascinated you to do science?

Saw some astonishing results with stem cell therapy … in particular with spinal cord injury (Geron could have continued with the Spinal Cord Injury clinical trial!!) What attracted you to a career in biology/medicine? My interest lies in handling “New” businesses where things are not defined properly. In early part of my career I handled IT projects (LucasTVS/Wipro-GE). Then I moved from handling projects to managing P&L. The first business which I handled was the “Service Business” at Wipro-GE – with no prior experience of handling a Service Business. I could run it very successfully. This gave me confidence about myself. Then I ran Healthcare IT business at Wipro-GE, Distance Education business at Manipal – all started from scratch. Stempeutics – was a co-incidence. Manipal Group was looking for a President for Stempeutics with Pharma/Stem Cell background. Seeing my track record (I think so), the option was given to me to head Stempeutics. I did my home work for few days and then accepted the current post. It is really a fascinating field. We can really transform

medicine and offer new hope to millions of people. Who are your scientific heroes/role models? Thomas Alva Edison – The GE Founder. Very fascination story – how a Great Scientist can build a Great Company!! What's the best advice you ever had? Measurement drives Behaviour

Where do you think stem cell research would be with regards to clinical application in 5-10 years’ time? How to enhance the clinical outcomes through tissue engineering, bio-degradable scaffolds, robotics delivery mechanism and generation of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines and their derivatives to promote patient specific & disease specific drug development.

What's the worst advice you ever had? Don’t take risks What was your biggest thrill in the laboratory/clinic? When we see our ideas becomes a reality…. What is the biggest threat to stem cell research? Time & Money Which is the single most factor driving the broad application of stem cells in the clinical setting? Potential of stem cells to transform medicine and offer new hope to millions of people What do you think about stem cells as a business model? Gold Mine. Need to mine this Gold Mine. 4|Page

SPEAKER

Virender Singh Sangwan, MS Head, Clinical Research Head, Cornea and Anterior Segment, Ocular Immunology & Uveitis Services Bio: Dr Virender Singh Sangwan is a practicing ophthalmologist hailing from Haryana, India, who first trained at the Maharishi Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Rohtak, Haryana, then at the L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI), Hyderabad, and later at the Harvard Medical School at Boston, MA, USA. His strengths lie in his spirit of innovation, his ability to foresee the implications of a development in basic biology, and willingness to adapt and apply it to the clinical situation to obtain results. It is his skills and enthusiasm to translate the results of the bench into bedside applications that have made

him a pioneer in clinical ophthalmic research. He has made innovative contributions in ophthalmic research, particularly in perfecting the method of limbal stem cell culturing to produce transparent, stitchable epithelium and transplanting on needy human patients, and substantially restoring their vision. His work represents the largest successful human trial of stem cell technology anywhere in the world and is an excellent example of translational research from bench to bedside. He has been able to restore vision for over 700 patients, who had lost their eyesight due to burns and damage of the ocular outer surface. He has also devised a method to co-culture conjunctival and limbal stem cells and use the resultant tissue to restore vision in extreme cases of ocular outer surface damage. Some of these innovations in the culture technique are now standard protocol. He also reported for the first time the blinding potential of limbal stem cell deficiency in young children with allergic eye diseases. His research has been funded consistently by India’s Department of Biotechnology and, more recently, by the Wellcome Trust, UK and the Champalimaud Foundation, Portugal. Dr Sangwan is a recipient of the American Academy of Ophthalmology Achievement Award. He was invited by the International Ocular Surface Society (IOSS) in 2011 to deliver their “Annual Award Lecture” for pioneering work related to cell-based therapy for ocular surface reconstruction and in 2010 by The Louis J Fox Center for Ocular Regeneration at UPMC Eye Center and McGowan

Institute of Regenerative Medicine to deliver their inaugural lecture on “Innovations in Vision Restoration”. His work has been featured in the October 2007 issue of FORTUNE, one of the most reputed business magazines in the world and the journal NATURE, a few years ago. For his landmark contributions Dr Sangwan was awarded the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize in Medical Sciences in the year 2006, and the National Technology Prize by the Department of Biotechnology in 2007. He has received the Col Rangachary Award in 2005 from the All India Ophthalmology Society for best scientific work, Dr Vengal Rao Award for the best scientific paper at the annual Andhra Pradesh Ophthalmic Society meeting in 2003, and the Dr P Siva Reddy Researcher of the Year Award in 2002 in Andhra Pradesh. Dr Sangwan has also served as Field Medical Director of the Flying Eye Hospital of ORBIS International. He has travelled extensively to lecture and present his work at conferences abroad and, as part of ORBIS International’s training program, has taught in countries ranging from Romania to Jamaica, and Peru to Myanmar. He is Founder-Secretary of the Asia Cornea Society, Section Editor of the British Journal of Ophthalmology, past Associate Editor of the Indian Journal of Ophthalmology, and on the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Ophthalmology. He is a member of the International Steering Committee of Lux Biosciences, USA for the “LUCIDA” and “LUMINATE” drug development programs for the treatment of 5|Page

graft rejection respectively.

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management,

Dr Sangwan is the Coordinator for collaborative research projects between LVPEI and VisionCRC, a cooperative research initiative of the Australian government. He is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Rochester, New York, USA. He has been involved in the eye banking movement in the country and has served as Secretary, Eye Bank Association of India, Country Director of the Ocular Surface Society, Vice-President & Founder Secretary of the Uveitis Society of India. He is married to Vandana, a dentist, and they have two children — a daughter Twinkle and a son Sahil. Interview What was the first phenomena you can recall that fascinated you to do science? Photosynthesis which I read in 8th Standard and I was completely blown off. What is one of your most memorable career achievement? Treating and developing cell based therapy for ocular surface diseases. What attracted you to a career in biology/medicine? The ability to treat human beings and seeing results of the treatment almost immediately.

Who are your scientific heroes/role models? Dr. G.N. Rao , our founder chairman.

Quackery and too much hype around health benefits of stem cells.

Which scientist/clinician has made the biggest impact in your field? Prof. Stephen Foster at Harvard. Prof. Shigeuro Kinoshita

Which is the single most factor driving or inhibiting the broad application of stem cells in the clinical setting? Driver is success of cell based therapy in certain clinical conditions.

What paper had the most influence on you? Autologus cultivated limbal epithelium transplantation in LANCET 1997 by Pelligrini et al.

Lack of clear clinical models/ecosystem for application to most common diseases physicians are sceptical of this field.

What's the best advice you ever had? Follow your heart

What do you think about stem cells as a business model? We should develop ecosystem (Like Apple products for research, development of stem cells based therapy for common diseases or diseases which don’t have treatment.

What was the worse advice you ever had? To join state Govt. health services after my residency and fellowship. What was your biggest thrill in the lab/ clinic? When we could grow limbal epithelium in lab and the clinical outcome of our first few patients treated with cultivated limbal epithelium transplantation. What are the main issues confronting stem cell researcher with respect to clinical applications of stem cell? The confusion between adult and embryonic SC and ethical considerations plus the lack of good funding opportunities. What is the biggest threat to stem cell research??

What would you be if not a scientist/clinician? Business person What is your motivation of doing research? It is exciting and I want to develop new treatment for clinical unmet needs. Also, would like to improve outcomes of existing stem cell therapies in my field. What’s your motivation of working as a clinician? Joy of treating human diseases and helping people afflicted with diseases are sheer excitements.

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