Cell therapy weekly: Merck expands cell culture production capabilities
This week: Researchers at the University of Buffalo (NY, USA) receive a $3 million grant to study immune cell therapy for tumors, the Michael J. Fox Foundation (NY, USA) awards a grant to facilitate preparations for a Parkin gene therapy replacement to go to clinical trial and Merck (Darmstadt, Germany) expands its cell culture media production capabilities with a €23 million investment.
The news highlights:
- NIC awards $3 million grant to study T cell therapy for solid tumors
- NysnoBio receives funding for Parkin gene replacement therapy
- Merck expands cell culture media facility in Lenexa
NIC awards $3 million grant to study T cell therapy for solid tumors
The National Cancer Institute (NCI; MD, USA) has awarded Ruongang Zhao, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Buffalo, a $3 million R01 research grant over 5 years to study immune-cell therapy to treat solid tumors. Whilst CAR T-cell therapies have received FDA approval for treating hematopoietic cancer, their use in solid tumors has remained unsuccessful. This is partly due to the stroma surrounding solid tumors, a matrix of proteins and cells that act as a barrier to immunotherapy. “Certain types of cancers, such as pancreatic, have thick tumor stroma, making them more resistant to all treatments – chemotherapy, radiation and immunotherapy,” commented Zhao. “This is why they are so deadly.”
Zhao will be the Principal Investigator of this research project studying how the stroma affects T-cell infiltration into the tumor to develop therapies that are able to dissolve or disrupt the stroma. They will use animal tumor models and tumor stroma-on-a-chip technology.
Zhao concluded, “These therapies have the potential for improved efficacy in T-cell therapy. Our ultimate goal is to have a combination of therapy that can be used for the clinical treatment of solid tumors.”
NysnoBio receives funding for Parkin gene replacement therapy
NysnoBio (CA, USA), a biopharmaceutical company developing gene therapy candidates for neurodegenerative diseases, has received additional funding from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s research to advance their lead Parkin gene replacement therapy candidate NB001. This funding will be used to support product manufacturing to enable IND (Investigational New Drug Application) safety studies in preparation for human clinical trials. The trials will evaluate NB001 in patients with bi-allelic loss-of-function mutations in the Parkin gene (Parkin-PD). Parkin-PD typically affects those younger than 35 years old. The NB001 Parkin gene replacement therapy aims to restore dopaminergic function and is based on a clinically validated AAV construct with an established safety profile.
NysnoBio Founder and CEO, Jennifer Johnston, commented: “These studies will help fill critical gaps in the PD therapeutic landscape with the advancement of the first therapeutic for the Parkin protein—one of the most highly validated genes related to PD. We are honored to be working with MJFF to move closer to changing the course of disease for these young genetic patients, and ultimately for many PD patients.”
Merck expands cell culture media facility in Lenexa
Merck has invested €23 million to build the company’s largest dry powder cell culture media facility at their Lenexa (KS, USA) location. This will bring an additional 9,100 m2 of manufacturing and redesigned lab space, expanding their capability to manufacture cell culture media and create 60 new jobs. Cell culture plays an essential role in biomanufacturing, and a reliable and consistent supply is needed in vaccine manufacturing, gene therapy and monoclonal antibody manufacturing.
“The Lenexa expansion reflects our commitment to meeting the dynamic needs of our customers worldwide and delivering on our growth plans,” commented Darren Verlenden, Head of Process Solutions at the Life Science business of Merck. “This expansion makes Lenexa the company’s largest dry powder cell culture media facility and Center of Excellence in North America. Investing in the region reflects our strategy to expand and diversify our supply chain to ensure we meet current and future demand for cell culture media.”