Greetings,

As you are undoubtedly aware, last July we initiated the first-ever clinical trials using a cell therapy derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) to treat various forms of macular degeneration.  The end goal for our clinical trials is to test whether or not the retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells we make from hESCs are capable of homing to sites of injury in the retina, replacing the native RPE cells that are lost to disease, and ultimately reestablishing the function of this layer of cells in protecting photoreceptors from cell death, i.e. slowing or halting progressive vision loss.  One of our ongoing trials is for Stargardt’s Macular Dystrophy (SMD, aka Stargardt’s Disease) and the other is for Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration (Dry AMD).  Last month we also initiated a European clinical trial for Stargardt’s Disease.  That same week, we also published some exciting – albeit very preliminary data – relating to the patients treated last July, in The Lancet.

To date, we have treated one patient with Dry AMD (at UCLA), and a total of four patients with SMD (three at UCLA, and one at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London).  The recent treatment of the two SMD patients at UCLA represents the entire first cohort of patients for this initial dose of cells in the SMD trial.

We are pleased to have both trials underway and delighted with the results we have reported so far.  Clearly, though, the question arises: why does the Stargardt’s Disease trial appear to be moving along at a faster pace than the Dry AMD trial?  This has no doubt been of particular interest to our investors, upon whom the vast size of the potential market for Dry AMD is not lost; a projected market upwards of $25-30 Billion in the US and Europe alone.  I intend to briefly address this issue here.

No Two Trials Alike

No two clinical trials are exactly alike or proceed at exactly the same pace.  There are a few reasons why patient treatment in our Dry AMD trial has lagged behind our SMD trial a bit.  It can be summed up pretty much as follows: luck, age and regulatory factors.

Any large-scale, complex project with a number of moving parts and other variables, no matter how well planned and thought through, is on some level affected by a random interplay of factors beyond the control of its planners.  Clinical trials are no exception to this, and simple luck always comes into play on some level.

In the case of the Dry AMD trial, four of the initial patients that principal investigator Dr. Steven Schwartz of UCLA had identified as good candidates from which to select patients two and three wound up being screened out of eligibility in the final battery of tests. The patients all passed initial health screenings, complete reviews of their medical records and extensive optical analyses.  Sadly, on the eve of the surgeries, the longer lead time screenings for cancer and viral infections yielded previously unidentified positive results. These patients had surely been excited to participate in the trial, and my heart goes out to each of them.  They have suffered already with blindness from macular degeneration, and now have another tough set of circumstances to deal with in their lives.

This is, unfortunately, not an overly uncommon occurrence in clinical trials, but clearly it is more likely to happen in a trial with a patient population that tends to be elderly, by definition.  Dry AMD is, after all, age-related, and an older patient population will invariably have more complicating health factors that could affect final eligibility to participate in a clinical trial.

The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) protocol for our surgeries, as you are also likely aware, involves a course of immune suppression before and for a period of time after the transplant, and a patient’s ability to tolerate this without other adverse effects is a critical factor in inclusion in the study.  The extremely poor visual acuity requirements in the FDA protocol result in a decidedly elderly patient population (with patients typically being 77 years old or so at the youngest).  When that factor is combined with the requirement of an intact Bruch’s Membrane, and the general health-related restrictions mentioned above, it makes for a more challenging patient screening process in the dry AMD trial relative to that for the SMD trial.

That being said, I am pleased to inform you that we are currently in the advanced stages of screening several more clinical trial candidates and are very confident that we will soon be able to treat two additional Dry AMD patients, rounding out the first cohort in the AMD trial.

Thank you, as always, for your interest and support.

Gary Rabin
Chairman and CEO
Advanced Cell Technology, Inc.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this news release regarding future financial and operating results, future growth in research and development programs, potential applications of our technology, opportunities for the company and any other statements about the future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans, or prospects expressed by management constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements that are not statements of historical fact (including statements containing the words “will,” “believes,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “estimates,” and similar expressions) should also be considered to be forward-looking statements. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements, including: limited operating history, need for future capital, risks inherent in the development and commercialization of potential products, protection of our intellectual property, and economic conditions generally. Additional information on potential factors that could affect our results and other risks and uncertainties are detailed from time to time in the company’s periodic reports, including the report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010.  Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, opinions, and expectations of the company’s management at the time they are made, and the company does not assume any obligation to update its forward-looking statements if those beliefs, opinions, expectations, or other circumstances should change. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, opinions, and expectations of the company’s management at the time they are made, and the company does not assume any obligation to update its forward-looking statements if those beliefs, opinions, expectations, or other circumstances should change. There can be no assurance that the Company’s clinical trials will be successful.

Greetings,

For many of us, the New Year is a time not just for looking forward but for reflecting on events, achievements and lessons learned over the past year. I anticipate an amazing year ahead for ACT, and at the same time I also cannot help but reflect with pride on how far the company has come with its clinical programs over the past year.

IND Filing and Clinical Trials

I will never forget the moment I learned that the company’s Investigational New Drug Application (IND) for its human clinical trial for Stargardt’s Macular Dystrophy (SMD) had been approved by the FDA. It was clear then that ACT truly was on the road to potentially making medical history. So much has happened in the interim that it is hard to believe that happened only a bit over one year ago, in late November, 2010!

Shortly after that, our IND for Dry Age Related Macular Degeneration (Dry AMD) was also approved. The brief time since then has been a whirlwind of activity in preparation for the clinical trials, and we were enormously pleased and proud to start them in July, at the first site, UCLA’s Jules Stein Eye Institute (JSEI).

As you are no doubt aware, the trials at UCLA are being conducted by Dr. Steven Schwartz of JSEI and overseen by our chief scientific officer, Dr. Robert Lanza. Each patient has received an injection of 50,000 hESC-derived RPE cells in one eye. Both trials will involve twelve patients, and are designed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of the injected RPE cells. Based on the results of the first patient in each study, we are authorized by the Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) to move forward with the next two patients in the studies, each of whom will also be treated with 50,000 RPE cells.

Part of what makes research and development in the regenerative medicine sector so exciting is that it involves sailing into largely uncharted waters. ACT’s two trials are the only ongoing human embryonic stem cell-based trials, period. We are quite literally creating a new area of medicine. This means there is tremendous pressure on us to “get it right.” The responsibility to provide the first-ever validation for this enormously promising new sector rests entirely on our shoulders.

I hope, then, that our many fans and followers can understand why this process takes some time. All eyes are on us, both from the standpoint of support and scrutiny. Should our trials succeed, it could provide the validation that the regenerative medicine sector has been in need of for some time. This is why, in every stage, we are bending over backwards to make sure we cross all our t’s and dot all our i’s. As the saying goes, Rome wasn’t built in a day. If we can successfully complete these trials and bring these therapies to market, though, the potential benefits would be manifold:

* The potential to at least partially restore sight to millions of people suffering from Dry AMD, the most common cause of blindness for people over age 55.
* Provide a much-needed validation to the entire regenerative medicine sector.
* Provide an enormously useful base of scientific knowledge on which we and others can develop other treatments and cures.
* Last but not least, reward our investors for their patience and support with a return on their investment as befits a company with the only approved treatment for Dry AMD, which has a potential market size of $25-30 Billion in the US and Europe alone, as well as for SMD.

For many years, I was an equity market investment manager. That is an industry where you can evaluate results on a daily basis. Just because you can do that, though, does not mean that you should. The best investors, by far, look at long-term investment opportunities. Running a biotech company is not the same. I am well aware that we have many shareholders who want to know why we don’t just treat patients and release results as fast we can, and as fast as available. To do so would be beyond foolhardy for a company like ACT. If there is anything this industry has had some issues with, it is credibility in the mainstream healthcare world. We plan to change that. But to do that, it can’t happen overnight. Patient selection, clinical site selection, the timing of patient treatment, and unexpected non-ocular conditions of patients found in health screenings are among the major factors that impact patient treatment. Another factor in the timing of treating these new patients is that we will have at our disposal a new kind of three-dimensional retinal imaging technique, which has not previously been available. Believe me, the timing of patient surgeries has nothing to do with safety, efficacy or availability of suitable patients.

I know that many investors want us to go as fast as possible in treating patients. But there is a tortoise/hare effect here that I simply won’t discuss now. I know that it is hard to be patient, but we are making every decision for the best interest of the company in the long run. We don’t get bonus points for finishing the trial a few months earlier as compared to making it a truly game-changing medical opportunity. I know that many of you don’t know me from Adam, but I’m a very methodical person. Look who we recently added to the Board – one of the leading scientists in the world; one of the best entrepreneurs in the world (founder of Life Alert and eFax), and the CFO of a highly-regarded biotech company considered to have made excellent, value-preserving large bio/pharma partnering deals. We have this under control.

One ill-conceived decision could set the company on a downward path (ACT has been there). Highly prestigious peer-reviewed medical journals do substantial review and due diligence. Top-rated eye hospitals and surgeons are very process-oriented and sometimes bureaucratic. Pushing them harder to move faster doesn’t earn you any credibility or success.

Nevertheless, I am delighted to inform you that we are currently scheduled to treat our first patient in the UK at the end of next week or early the following week, and that we will be treating four additional US patients beginning that same following week.

Publishing Data

The question that inevitably comes up asks when we are going to publish the initial data from the trials. We are eagerly anticipating doing so but we are not going to just post it in raw form. This trial has the potential to make medical history and we want to share the initial results with the world in a strategic way.

The only appropriate approach with data this significant is publishing it in the form of a paper in a prestigious, peer-reviewed medical journal. However, the peer-review process takes time. The process typically takes several months, so I am actually quite thrilled that we are now moving toward the final stages of completing it, less than six months after the first patients were treated. We are far enough along that at this point the additional waiting time will be measured only in weeks, not months. We are coordinating the scientific publication with a general mainstream media release strategy (see below). When the paper is published, rest assured that we plan to leverage it to make sure it is very broadly known, not only in medicine, but in the broader medical and scientific community, as well as the investment community.

We sincerely appreciate everyone’s patience as we continue this process. We are keenly aware that our investors, fans and other followers are anxious to see the data.

Thank you for your patience and thank you, as always, for your interest and support.

Gary Rabin
Chairman and CEO
Advanced Cell Technology, Inc.

P.S. If you are on-site at EBD Group’s Biotech Showcase, I hope you can make it by my two presentations today (Tuesday, January 10), both as part of panels in the Regenerative Medicine Insight Track. More info is here.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this news release regarding future financial and operating results, future growth in research and development programs, potential applications of our technology, opportunities for the company and any other statements about the future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans, or prospects expressed by management constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements that are not statements of historical fact (including statements containing the words “will,” “believes,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “estimates,” and similar expressions) should also be considered to be forward-looking statements. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements, including: limited operating history, need for future capital, risks inherent in the development and commercialization of potential products, protection of our intellectual property, and economic conditions generally. Additional information on potential factors that could affect our results and other risks and uncertainties are detailed from time to time in the company’s periodic reports, including the report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010.  Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, opinions, and expectations of the company’s management at the time they are made, and the company does not assume any obligation to update its forward-looking statements if those beliefs, opinions, expectations, or other circumstances should change. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, opinions, and expectations of the company’s management at the time they are made, and the company does not assume any obligation to update its forward-looking statements if those beliefs, opinions, expectations, or other circumstances should change. There can be no assurance that the Company’s clinical trials will be successful.

Greetings,

You have no doubt seen our recent 8K filing and press release about the settlements and the filing of the preliminary proxy.  In this blog post I would like to add a bit of color on these topics and also touch on other recent milestones, plans for the future, and give a run-down of our ocular programs, including some important but lesser-known ones.

As the press release about the settlements and proxy states, we have entered into settlement agreements with 40 holders of warrants and debentures.  There are a total of 48 holders of such warrants and debentures.  Of the eight not covered by these settlement agreements, we have been unable to reach four (which would total only 8.5 million shares in a settlement).  Of the four remaining, with whom we are in active litigation: two have already been granted shares by court orders; one is in advanced settlement discussions with us; and one remains a counterparty in as yet unresolved litigation.  We are pleased to have reached settlement agreements with the majority of holders and look forward to having all such matters behind us.  These settlements and the results of this litigation will result in the final resolution of the extraordinarily onerous anti-dilution provisions in the company’s debenture and warrant financings of the 2005 to early 2010 period.  I, for one, am thrilled to be putting this to rest.  The overhang that this created restricted so many of the company’s potential activities and corporate actions, and was a constant source of concern to us as we were always looking over our shoulders to see if we were creating additional potential liability.  It also resulted in wild quarterly swings in earnings, as the derivative liability caused by our stock price changes was accounted for in income statement gains or losses.

For our shareholders, I would like to stress the importance of the preliminary proxy.  As the release and filing mention, the record date is December 8, 2011 and the special meeting date is January 24, 2012.  I would like to emphasize again how important it is to vote “For” the increase in authorized shares, to complete the settlement agreement but also to enable the company to continue its R&D and clinical programs.  More on our programs is below, but I hope you will seriously consider an affirmative vote when you receive your proxy ballot in the mail.

I would also like to invite our shareholders to attend our Special Meeting at the Hyatt Regency Palm Springs.  I look forward to meeting some of you there in-person.

As mentioned, too, stockholders who have questions or need assistance should contact our proxy solicitor, InvestorCom, Inc., at 877-972-0090.

While we are putting these issues and challenges from the past firmly behind us, we are also proud to reflect on some recent achievements, as they help put us on very firm footing for a successful 2012 and beyond.

Notably, we recently appointed three new board members: Dr. Robert Langer, David H. Koch Institute Professor at MIT, whose appointment we announced in October; Zohar Loshitzer, CEO of Presbia, an opthalmic device firm; and Gregory D. Perry, EVP and CFO of ImmunoGen, a publicly-traded biotech firm with a market cap of over $900 million.  I really cannot overstate how pleased I am about these appointments.  Between the three of them, Bob, Zohar and Greg, respectively, bring a vast depth of experience in science, in commercializing emerging medical technologies, and in fundraising and partnering to the company at a critical juncture.  Last week, we had our first meeting of this new board.  The entire company leadership team gave presentations advising the board on scientific development opportunities and priorities, regulatory and clinical updates, manufacturing activities and plans, joint venture opportunities and the company’s first ever complete annual budget process.  The interplay between the board and the leadership team was incredibly productive, and would have made any shareholder proud of our activities.  We will be sharing summaries of these presentations with you early in 2012.

As you are no doubt aware, we now have the distinction of being the only company that is conducting FDA-cleared human clinical trials using human embryonic stem cell-derived therapies.  Both of our ongoing Phase 1/2 trials use human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells, one for Stargardt’s macular dystrophy (SMD) and the other for dry age-related macular degeneration (dry AMD).

We are very excited by the initial results from the first two patients that have been treated at UCLA’s Jules Stein Eye Institute, and we look forward to sharing more specifics with the world at the proper time and with the appropriate strategic approach, in coming weeks.  I know that many investors are in a rush for us to treat patients as quickly as possible, but we have quite good clinical, corporate and calendar-based reasons to be working on a more deliberate pace for the time being.

We also secured clearance from the U.K. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to begin a similar clinical trial for SMD, which would be the first human embryonic stem cell trial in Europe.  We are currently on track to treat the first patient at Moorfields Hospital, perhaps the world’s foremost innovator in eye care, before the end of January.

Most of the company’s followers are already familiar with the RPE program described above. We are moving forward on a variety of research and development fronts, though, so I would like to briefly describe our other ocular programs:

Our hemangioblast program for generating hemangioblast cells to treat a wide variety of vascular and hematopoietic disorders is moving forward.  A hemangioblast is a multipotent cell that is a common precursor to both hematopoietic and endothelial cells.  The ability of these cells to promote angiogenesis (the growth of new blood vessels) has led us to successfully demonstrate that these cells promote revascularization in various models, including diabetic retinopathy.  In September we were awarded a patent for generating  and expanding hemangioblast cells from hESCs.

We have also developed a novel progenitor cell for protecting and replacing neurons in the visual field.  In animal models of photoreceptor degeneration, we have been able to show that these cells appear to activate regeneration and remodeling in response to disease or injury of the eye.  These cells could eventually be used as part of a therapy to address the neuronal loss resulting from glaucoma.

Our corneal program continues to advance.  We are addressing the fundamental need for transplantable corneal tissue through readily manufacturable corneal tissues.

Finally, a program that has captured the imagination of a number of the scientist in our company comes from a fundamental new approach to generating robust mesenchymal, or multipotent, stem cells (MSCs).  Applied to our eye program, we expect to be able to use MSCs in the treatment of glaucoma and uveitis (inflammation in the middle layer of the eye, called the uvea), retinitis pigmentosa (describes a number of genetic eye conditions that lead to incurable blindness), and in the management of ocular surfaces and implants.

From reaching the settlement agreements, to fortifying our Board of Directors, to moving our RPE program decisively forward in the clinic, to developing our other ocular programs, the company is truly firing on all cylinders.  Moreover, I can state with utmost confidence that 2012 is going to be the most exciting time in the company’s history.

Thank you, as always, for your interest and support.

Gary Rabin
Chairman and CEO
Advanced Cell Technology, Inc.

Further Information
ACT has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a preliminary proxy statement in connection with its proposal to increase its authorized shares. ACT plans to file a definitive proxy statement with the SEC and mail such definitive proxy statement to stockholders of record on the record date for the meeting at which stockholders will be asked to adopt the amendment to the company’s certificate of incorporation to increase the company’s authorized shares. The company, Mr. Rabin and certain of its directors, executive officers and other members of management may, under SEC rules, be deemed “participants” in the solicitation of proxies from the company’s stockholders with respect to the proposed increase in the company’s authorized shares. INVESTORS AND STOCKHOLDERS ARE ADVISED TO READ THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THOSE DOCUMENTS WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED INCREASE IN THE COMPANY’S AUTHORIZED SHARES ABOUT THE PROPOSAL AND OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION INCLUDING THOSE PERSONS WHO MAY BE DEEMED “PARTICIPANTS” IN THE SOLICITATION. Investors and stockholders may obtain a free copy of the definitive proxy statement when it becomes available, and other documents filed by us with the SEC, including the preliminary proxy statement, at the SEC’s web site at http://www.sec.gov. Free copies of the definitive proxy statement, when it becomes available, and the Company’s other filings with the SEC may also be obtained from the Company by directing a request to Advanced Cell Technology, Inc., 33 Locke Drive, Marlborough, Massachusetts 01752, Attention: Secretary.

Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this document regarding future financial and operating results, future growth in research and development programs, potential applications of our technology, opportunities for the company and any other statements about the future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans, or prospects expressed by management constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements that are not statements of historical fact (including statements containing the words “will,” “believes,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “estimates,” and similar expressions) should also be considered to be forward-looking statements. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements, including: limited operating history, need for future capital, risks inherent in the development and commercialization of potential products, protection of our intellectual property, and economic conditions generally. Additional information on potential factors that could affect our results and other risks and uncertainties are detailed from time to time in the company’s periodic reports, including the report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, opinions, and expectations of the company’s management at the time they are made, and the company does not assume any obligation to update its forward-looking statements if those beliefs, opinions, expectations, or other circumstances should change. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, opinions, and expectations of the company’s management at the time they are made, and the company does not assume any obligation to update its forward-looking statements if those beliefs, opinions, expectations, or other circumstances should change. There can be no assurance that the Company’s clinical trials will be successful.

Greetings,

As you may have heard in the news, or read about in the press release we issued, the European Court of Justice just ruled that inventions based on the use of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) for scientific research cannot be patented, when the process of deriving those cells destroys embryos.

This ruling is most unfortunate, and represents a huge setback to hESC-based research and development in Europe. However, it should have minimal impact on our commercial efforts in the EU.

As you probably know, the company is very keen to move forward with clinical programs in Europe, as well, and recently achieved some major milestones toward that goal. Most notably, we received clearance from the U.K. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to initiate the first-ever hESC-based clinical trial in Europe, a Phase 1/2 trial for Stargardt’s Macular Dystrophy (SMD) using retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells derived from hESCs. Additionally, in June we announced a collaboration with Roslin Cells (UK) for storage and distribution of hESCs using our patented “embryo-safe” blastomere technique.

We do not consider today’s ruling to be a setback for our European programs, since they are based on our blastomere technique, and are moving full speed ahead with them. Simply put, our hESC programs do not require the destruction of the embryo, and as such are not affected by this ruling.

As was mentioned in our announcement, this court decision is actually narrower than has been reported in some places. As Greenpeace itself noted:

However, the decision will affect stem cell research only partially, as in recent years, researchers have found several alternative methods for obtaining stem cells, without the need to destroy human embryos.

Clearly our blastomere technology is first and foremost among these techniques.

This development could spur considerable European institutional and private sector interest in hESCs derived using techniques that do not destroy embryos, such as those that we are making available in collaboration with Roslin Cells. We certainly plan to meet such demand, toward one day making hESCs available to all European patients and researchers who may need them.

This ruling is a setback for the regenerative medicine sector in Europe, and a most unfortunate one. Nevertheless, it simply does not affect ACT directly, and we are eagerly anticipating starting our European clinical trial and other initiatives in coming months.

Thank you.

Gary Rabin
Chairman and CEO
Advanced Cell Technology, Inc

Greetings,

ACT’s Director of Regulatory Affairs, Edmund “Ed” Mickunas, will be presenting on the company’s behalf at a major industry conference, the “Phacilitate Cell & Gene Therapy Forum Asia 2011,” Sept. 19-21, in Singapore.

Ed’s presentation will focus on regulatory issues surrounding human clinical trials in the field of regenerative medicine, such as our two recently-initiated trials at UCLA’s Jules Stein Eye Institute using retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) for the treatment of Stargardt’s Disease and dry age-related macular degeneration (dry AMD). Ed will also discuss ACT’s preparation for our past investigational new drug (IND) application filings for these two trials.

Asia, particularly the vast market opportunity represented by the emerging markets of East and Southeast Asia, has become a major priority for ACT as a company. We are proud of the progress made thus far in our partnership with CHA Bio & Diostech Co, Ltd. (“CHA Biotech”), a leading South Korea-based biotechnology company. We are also exploring opportunities in other major markets in the region, specifically China, and are making progress in pursuing opportunities there. You may remember that earlier this year we announced that we are to be issued a broad patent on hESC-derived RPE cells in China. We will keep you updated on other goings-on for the company in East Asia and elsewhere.

Additionally, access to my recent presentation at the Rodman & Renshaw Global Investment Conference in New York is available at this link (registration required), and access to my presentation at Terrapinn’s Stem Cells USA and Regenerative Medicine Congress in Boston is available here (PDF).

Thank you.

Gary Rabin
Chairman and CEO
Advanced Cell Technology, Inc.

Greetings,

You have probably seen the news that yesterday U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth ruled that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) guidelines on embryonic stem cell research do not violate federal law, and that he in turn dismissed the legal challenge to such funding that was initiated last year.

ACT is not and never has been dependent on federal funding. However, we believe this ruling is very positive for research in regenerative medicine and for the field of medicine overall, and we support Judge Lamberth’s decision.

This ruling clears away the last remaining obstacle for the NIH in terms of funding of embryonic stem cell research and development, and could potentially directly benefit ACT as well. We have a number of stem cell lines derived using our “embryo-safe” single-cell blastomere technique currently under consideration for NIH funding, and we hope that this ruling will help accelerate funding for stem cell lines such as ours.

In the meantime, we continue with our programs, especially the Phase 1/2 human clinical trials using using retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) for Stargardt’s Macular Dystrophy (SMD) and dry age-related Macular Degeneration (Dry AMD).

Thank you.

Gary Rabin
Interim Chairman and CEO
Advanced Cell Technology, Inc.

Greetings,

We are very pleased to update you on our latest progress and some significant upcoming milestones.

As you may know, we recently announced that ACT was granted EU orphan medicinal product designation for our retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) for the treatment of Stargardt’s Macular Dystrophy (SMD).

Additionally, we also announced that the first patients had been enrolled at the Jules Stein Eye Institute at UCLA for our two upcoming Phase 1/2 clinical trials using hESC-derived RPE cells for Stargardt’s disease and Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration (Dry AMD). They are finishing the testing and pre-surgical preparations on these patients currently, and the surgeries are scheduled for the second week in July.

We hope you will continue to check in with us at this exciting time to learn more about ACT’s latest developments and our clinical progress.

Thank you.

Gary Rabin
Interim Chairman and CEO
Advanced Cell Technology, Inc.

Greetings,

As you are no doubt aware, last Thursday, June 16th, we announced that the first patients have been enrolled at the Jules Stein Eye Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) for our two upcoming Phase 1/2 clinical trials using using retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) for Stargardt’s Macular Dystrophy (SMD) and Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration (Dry
AMD).

We are very pleased about achieving this milestone and see it not only as an important step forward for ACT, but for the overall field of regenerative medicine.

The announcement was greeted with enthusiastic coverage from the news media. This included coverage from newswire services such as Reuters and Europe’s AFP, as well as major newspapers such as the Washington Post’s “Checkup” blog, the Guardian (UK), and elsewhere.

The feature article in the TIME magazine’s print and online edition is particularly gratifying. The story, by senior reporter Alice Park, appears in the current issue, dated June 27, now available on newsstands nationwide.

Among other aspects of the two clinical trials, the TIME story discusses the involvement of Steven Schwartz, M.D., principal investigator of the trials at UCLA, Ahmanson Professor of Ophthalmology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and retina division chief at the Jules Stein Eye Institute.

The story also quotes Robert Lanza, M.D., our chief scientific officer, as saying, “We are finally ready to break ground on this field with the first trials. It’s taken a decade of extensive research to get to this point.”

Please find the article on TIME’s website via the following link:

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2078130,00.html

Thank you.

Gary Rabin
Interim Chairman and CEO
Advanced Cell Technology, Inc.

Greetings,

As you know, Advanced Cell Technology is evolving very quickly.  The past year has been marked by the achievement of numerous long-term milestones, the most significant of which is our progress in moving the retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) program forward toward the clinic.  We are currently enrolling patients for our Phase 1/2 human clinical trials using human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived RPE cells for Stargardt’s Macular Dystrophy (SMD) and Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration (Dry AMD).

As we begin these groundbreaking clinical trials, and we continue to make tremendous progress in our research, we thought it would only be appropriate to launch a new corporate logo and website, with the following objectives:

• New logo, reflecting our corporate identity as an emerging leader in the regenerative medicine field
• Better design, with a cleaner layout
• Faster, easier navigation
• A design reflecting our metamorphosis from an early development-stage company to one that is quickly moving forward into clinical trials with its therapeutic programs
• More convenient access to information on our clinical trials, for all interested parties (via a microsite; see below).

The new site includes a microsite dedicated to our upcoming clinical trials to serve as  a useful “first stop” for anyone interested in the two RPE trials and any others that we may announce in the future.

We are retaining elements of our old site that have proven popular.  For example, I will continue to post to this Chairman’s Blog, and we will continue to occasionally make use of our corporate/investor’s blog to share important announcements and other information with our followers.

Also of note, we are pleased to share with you that our new corporate logo, was created by one of our dedicated ACT shareholders.  While we considered several different designs, we ultimately chose this early design that was sent to us, unsolicited.  We enjoyed working with him to finalize the design and appreciate all of the continued support of our dedicated shareholder base.

We are very excited about our new home on the web, and we welcome your thoughts and feedback.  Feel free to post them in the Comments section or send an email to info@advancedcell.com with the subject line “Site Feedback.” We look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you,
Gary Rabin
Interim Chairman and CEO
Advanced Cell Technology, Inc

Greetings,

As you are no doubt aware, ACT is quickly evolving from a development-stage biotechnology company to a clinical-stage company developing regenerative medicine. We now have two of the three total FDA clearances for embryonic stem cell-based clinical trials that have ever been issued, and we are eagerly anticipating starting these trials in the first half of this year.

Since the two clinical trials are likely to garner a lot of media attention, we have decided to retain the services of Russo Partners. In business for 23 years, Russo Partners is the best-in-breed of healthcare and life science PR/corporate communications firms. As an added benefit, Russo Partners (formerly Noonan Russo) worked with ACT during an earlier era (2000 – 2001), so knows the company well.

We are pleased to have Russo Partners on board and look forward to their assistance as we share major future developments.

Thank you.

Gary Rabin
Interim Chairman and CEO
Advanced Cell Technology, Inc.