BioTime has signed an exclusive sublicense agreement and a supply agreement with Jade Therapeutics for ophthalmological drug delivery applications of HyStem technology.

According to the agreement, BioTime will provide Jade with clinical-grade HyStem hydrogels and certain patented technology for use in the development of new pharmaceutical products for ophthalmologic use. Financial terms of the agreement were kept confidential.

The hydrogels will be used by Jade to aid time-release topical delivery of recombinant human growth hormone to heal the ocular surface lesions. Jade Therapeutics will retain rights to market their product upon completion of development and obtaining marketing approval.

BioTime CEO Michael West said the HyStem product line has potential utility in a wide array of human therapeutic products.

"We intend to seek additional industry partners for applications that are not core to our own therapeutic product development," West added.

HyStem hydrogels are proprietary biocompatible hydrogels that mimic the human extracellular matrix, a web of molecules surrounding cells that is essential to cellular function.