This week's Lab Notes has reports on a genetic research organization expansion to Italy, a publicly traded company's new service line targeting cell and gene therapy developers, a new sponsored research agreement and more.
Here's the roundup:
Sbarro Health Research Organization
The Philadelphia nonprofit research organization focused on supporting genetic medicines to diagnose and cure cancer has opened an office in Italy.
Dr. Antonio Giordano, a Temple University professor who is president of Sbarro Health Research Organization and director of the affiliated Sbarro Institute, said he is excited to import the "American meritocratic model," which inspired him, into his native country where the organization will "invest in people and offer young researchers the opportunity to see their projects realized."
Both the Sbarro Institute and the Sbarro Health Research Organization are based on Temple's campus in North Philadelphia. The Sbarro Health Research Organization's operations in Italy, called SHRO Italy, will be in the Campania region in the southern part of the country.
Giancarlo Arra, vice president of Sbarro Health Research Organization, said their aim in establishing SHRO Italy, is "making our know-how available to the Italian territory, further strengthening the links already in place with the major centers of excellence in national health care.”
Another goal of the project aims to encourage American investors to target Naples and Campania.
AmerisourceBergen (NYSE: ABC)
The Conshohocken-based wholesale pharmaceutical distribution and services company has established a cell and gene therapy service line to support innovators in the space.
The new service line will be led by Lung-I Cheng.
Cheng, who recently joined AmerisourceBergen as vice president of cell and gene therapy, was previously head of global value and access for cell therapies, pipeline, and business development at Takeda.
“As the pipeline of cell and gene therapy products continues to expand, we’re focused on working alongside biopharma companies to provide them with the support needed to bring these innovative products to market and ensure they reach the patients who need them,” Cheng said.
Cheng will work with AmerisourceBergen teams across the company — in areas that include clinical trial and commercial logistics, market access and reimbursement support — to build upon its existing capabilities and develop additional services that meet the needs of biopharma companies, health care providers, payers, and patients.
Verismo Therapeutics
The University of Pennsylvania spinout has entered into an expanded sponsored research agreement with Penn.
Under the agreement, Verismo is funding additional preclinical studies being conducted by Penn researchers of the KIR-CAR platform technology for CAR T-cells that the company is seeking to advance as a potential treatment for solid tumors.
The financial terms of the agreement call for Verismo to provide $5.29 million for the Penn researchers over four years.
The research to be funded by Verismo will be conducted in the Penn laboratories of Dr. Michael C. Milone, an associate professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and Dr. Donald L. Siegel, a professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. Both Milone and Siegel are co-founders of the company, along with Dr. Bryan Kim. Milone, Siegel, and Penn are equity holders in Verismo. Penn has licensed intellectual property to Verismo. Milone and Siegel, along with Penn, may receive financial benefits under the license in the future.
Milone, with Penn's Dr. Carl June, is the co-inventor of the CTL019 CAR T-cell product – marketed by Novarits as Kymriah — that became the first FDA-approved CAR T-cell therapy. Milone is the lead inventor of the KIR-CAR technology. June also has an equity stake in Versimo.
In therapy using CAR T-cells, an acronym for chimeric antigen receptor, a patient's T cells are removed and genetically modified in the laboratory. After the re-engineered cell are re-injected into a patient, their immune system is better able to attack cancer cells. T cells are a type of immune system cell.
Kim, Milone and Siegel re-invented the technology to create what it calls KIR-CAR, to potentially treat solid tumors. KIR-CAR, according to the company, is the first multi-chain CAR capable of maintaining the T-cell activity even in harsh solid tumor environments. KIR-CAR is being designed to provide a "natural stimulation" to the cell without triggering the T-cell exhaustion. The result is the therapy continues to destroy solid tumors from the inside until they disappear, according to the company.
Verismo's lead therapy candidates in preclinical development are targeting pancreatic cancer, mesothelioma and ovarian cancer.
"I am hopeful that the collaboration between Penn and Verismo will accelerate the development of the KIR-CAR therapy and ultimately bring a new much needed treatment option to patients with solid tumors," said Kim, who serves as CEO of Verismo.
Quick hits
Zynerba Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ZYNE) announced positive results from phase 2 clinical test for its new drug candidate Zygel in pediatric patients with chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, a chromosomal disorder that results in the poor development of several body systems. The Devon company is focused on developing pharmaceutically-produced transdermal cannabinoid therapies for neuropsychiatric disorder. It plans to request a meeting with the FDA to discuss the data and the regulatory path forward for Zygel.… Devon-based Avantor Performance Materials (NYSE: AVTR), a provider of lab supplies and products to life sciences companies, entered into an agreement with GeminiBio of California to deliver custom hydrated solutions and cell cultures to biopharmaceutical developers. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
