OCEANSIDE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--International Stem Cell Corporation (OTCBB:ISCO) announced today that it had received the first $1 million tranche of an anticipated private equity financing of up to $5 million to be funded over the next several months. The total amount of the financing is intended to allow the Company to retire its existing secured debt and fund operations of the Company as it moves forward with planned pre-clinical trials in the first quarter of 2009. “This is an important vote of confidence by a sophisticated investor group and we believe it is a major first step on the path to making our company financially independent,” said Kenneth Aldrich, CEO of the Company.