Cell therapy weekly: Non-animal-derived collagen platform Vecollan® launched at commercial scale
This week in cell and gene therapy: FDA lifts clinical hold on Vertex Phase I/II trial for islet cell replacement therapy, Mogrify and Astellas announce collaboration to develop sensorineural hearing loss therapy and non-animal-derived collagen platform Vecollan launched at commercial scale.
The news highlights:
FDA lifts clinical hold on Vertex Phase I/II trial for islet cell replacement therapy
Vertex Pharmaceuticals (MA, USA) has announced it will resume a Phase I/II trial, after the FDA lifted its clinical hold. The study is investigating VX-880, an islet cell replacement therapy for Type 1 diabetic patients with severe hypoglycemia and impaired hypoglycemic awareness. Replacing the islet cells that are lost by autoimmune destruction in Type 1 diabetes will potentially restore insulin production and re-establish responsive glucose regulation in the body, thus reducing patient dependence on insulin treatment. VX-880 is an allogeneic stem cell-derived, fully differentiated, insulin-producing islet cell therapy manufactured using proprietary technology.
The study has now been permitted to resume by the FDA and will be reopened for screening, enrolment and dosing.
Mogrify and Astellas announce collaboration to develop sensorineural hearing loss therapy
Mogrify Ltd. (Cambridge, UK) and Astellas Pharma Inc., (Tokyo, Japan) have announced their collaborative research agreement aiming to address unmet therapeutic needs in sensorineural hearing loss. They will combine their expertise to identify novel combinations of transcription factors involved in cell differentiation to generate new cochlear hair cells.
Astellas will contribute its expertise in adeno-associated virus based genetic medicine and translational capabilities to complete experiments in pre-clinical models, as well as providing the research funding. Mogrify will contribute its proprietary direct cellular reprogramming platform as well as its bioinformatics, screening and validation process to characterize potential therapeutic factors.
Chief Scientific Officer of Mogrify, Louise Modis, stated: “Mogrify’s human regulatory network-centric approach is well placed to identify superior factor combinations, therefore increasing the efficiency of direct conversion toward the target cell type in the ear. Combined with Astellas’ capabilities for gene therapy and research of sensorineural, this provides a clear path for the development of a novel in vivo reprogramming therapy for sensorineural hearing loss.”
Non-animal-derived collagen platform Vecollan® launched at commercial scale
Evonik (Essen, Germany), a speciality chemicals company, has announced the commercial scale availability of Vecollan, its non-animal-derived collagen platform. With a triple helix structure that mimics the properties of natural collagen, Vecollan is absorbed readily and interacts with cells and tissues. It is produced by a fermentation-based process, making it more reproducible, safe and sustainable than the animal-derived collagen, which is currently the main source of collagen for pharmaceutical and life-science applications.
Global head of biomaterials at Evonik’s Health Care business line, Andreas Karau, described Vecollan as, “highly tuneable and customizable to different product forms like hydrogels, sponges or inks to support our customer’s development projects.” He added, “Whether for regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, aesthetic dermatology or dental applications, we are committed to finding the most suitable solution for our customers.”
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