Delenex, a biotech spin off from ESBATech specializing in the manufacturing applied antibody therapeutics for the treatment of cancer, has been acquired by Cell Medica, a London based biotech company, to help its progress into the CAR-T field.
Delenex was founded in Schlieren in 2009 as a spin-off from ESBATech (now a Novartis company). The company manufactures locally and systemically applied antibody therapeutics for dermatological diseases using its proprietary PENTRABodies.
The biotech startup has been acquired by Cell Medica, a London based company which develops manufactures and markets personalised cell immunotherapeutics for infectious disease and cancer, to enable the development of gene-modified immune cell products with enhanced potency for the treatment of cancer. This is because Delenex’s antibody platform (PENTRA) allows rapid development of humanized antibody types, including single chain Fv fragments (scFv), IgG and bispecific antibodies.
‘PENTRA bodies‘are also highly potent and stable antibody fragments, which can easily penetrate tissues and cross barriers in humans. These therefore have the potency for the treatment of cancers that do not respond to conventional therapies. Buying out Delenex will also potentially help ease the manufacturing process of CAR- and the cost.
Cell Medica is working in collaboration with the Baylor College of Medicine in Texas to develop next-generation cellular immunotherapies incorporating chimeric antigen receptors (CAR). Last year, the company got FDA Orphan Drug Designation for its leading Cancer immunotherapy (CMD-003) under development for Epstein-Barr Virus positive non-Hodgkin lymphomas. Now it is currently recruiting for a Phase II trial (‘CITADEL‘).
The Delenex scientific team and laboratory facilities based in Schlieren will form a key part of Cell Medica’s international R&D operations and will be re-named Cell Medica Switzerland AG.
(Picture: Adapted from Bio-Technopark Website)
Please login or sign up to comment.
Commenting guidelines