This week's Lab Notes has updates on the seven-figure grant Philadelphia cancer researchers recieved to study a substance found in broccoli, a gene editing company's licensing deal, a life sciences company's acquisition and more.
Here's the roundup:
Fox Chase Cancer Center
Researchers at the Philadelphia oncological hospital and Temple Health have received a three-year, $1.2 million grant to study a substance found in broccoli.
Specifically, the researchers will examine sulforaphane, a promising cancer preventive agent derived from broccoli and other vegetables in the cabbage family, for the prevention of malignant mesothelioma.
“Because advanced cancers such as malignant mesothelioma develop resistance to therapy, there is an urgent need for preventive measures,” said Joseph R. Testa, the project's principal investigator. Testa is a professor in the cancer prevention and control research program and chief of genomic medicine at Fox Chase.
Malignant mesothelioma is an incurable cancer of the mesothelial lining that surrounds the internal organs.
The research grant is funded through the National Cancer Institute’s preclinical drug development program.
Dr. Yuwaraj Kadariya, an assistant research professor in Testa’s lab, will serve as co-investigator on the sulforaphane project. Margie Clapper, co-leader of the cancer prevention and control research program, serves as principal investigator of Fox Chase’s role as a prime contractor of the PREVENT program. Testa and Kadariya will be working in collaboration with Dr. Joseph Friedberg, thoracic surgeon-in-chief at Temple Health and co-director of the Temple Health Mesothelioma and Pleural Disease Program with Melissa Culligan, a thoracic surgery nurse.
Vittoria Biotherapeutics
The Philadelphia gene-editing company has signed a licensing agreement giving Vittoria the non-exclusive clinical and commercial rights to use MaxCyte’s Flow Electroporation technology and Expert platform in its development of cell therapies.
MaxCyte's Flow Electroporation technology is designed to allow cells to flow through a processing chamber where discrete volumes are electroporated and then collected on a continual basis — making it easier to do large-scale genetic engineering.
Under the financial terms of the deal, MaxCyte (NASDAQ: MXCT) of Rockville, Maryland, will receive undisclosed platform licensing fees and program-related revenue.
Nicholas Siciliano, CEO of Vittoria, said he expects MaxCyte's experience with clinical grade manufacturing of gene-edited cellular therapeutics to greatly enhance the "robustness and reproducibility" of his company's manufacturing process, and ensure that each batch of its CAR-T cells meet the top standards for consistency and quality. "This is an important step forward as we work to develop the next generation of cellular therapies to benefit patients,” Siciliano said.
Vittoria said its technology and clinical programs are designed to address current gaps with contemporary cell therapies. The company is planning to file an investigational new drug application later this year for its lead program, an experimental T-cell Lymphoma treatment called Viper 101.
Biocoat
The Horsham manufacturer of hydrophilic biomaterial coatings and coating equipment for medical devices has acquired Chempilots. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Chempilots, based just outside of Copenhagen, provides specialty polymers and production services to the medical device makers. The transaction expands Biocoat's biomaterial platform, according to the company's CEO Jim Moran.
The Chempilots deal marks Biocoat's first acquisition since the private equity firm GTCR made an undisclosed investment in Biocoat last November.
Quick Hits
Iovance Biotherapeutics (NASDAQ: IOVA), a California biotechnology company which cell therapy manufacturing operations at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, closed a $172.5 million public stock offering in which it sold 23 million shares at $7.50 per share. The company plans to use the proceeds primarily to fund preparations for the commercial launch of lifileucel, a cell therapy currently seeking regulatory approval. The money will be also be used to prepare the Iovance Cell Therapy Center in Philadelphia for ongoing clinical research programs.… Incyte Corp. (NASDAQ: INCY) of Wilmington reported positive top-line results from the late-stage testing of Opzelura as a treatment for children with atopic dermatitis, a chronic skin condition characterized by inflammation and itchiness that afflicts about 13% of all children in the United States. The company said it plans to discuss these favorable results from the 300-patient study with regulatory agencies to determine the next steps in the approval process. Opzelura has already received approval as a repigmentation treatment for patients with the skin disorder vitiligo.… Philadelphia-based Rx-360, a nonprofit international consortium formed in 2009 to addresses pharmaceutical and medical device supply chain security, said it has expanded their trademark registration for its Joint Audit Program to include Japan. The joint audit program protects patient safety by sharing information and developing processes related to the integrity of the health care supply chain.… Warminster-based Arbutus Biopharma Corp. (NASDAQ: ABUS) promoted Dr. Karen Sims to chief medical officer and named Christopher Naftzger as the company's general counsel and chief compliance officer. Sims was previously vice president for clinical development. Naftzger succeeds Dr. Elizabeth Howard, who will continue to work for Arbutus in an advisory role with respect to the on-going patent infringement litigations. He was most recently general counsel and corporate secretary at Nabriva Therapeutics (NASDAQ: NBRV)
