News
Company News: New Peer-Reviewed Publication Provides Further Insights into Mechanism of ISA Pharmaceuticals’ SLP® Immunotherapeutics
– SLP®s modulate intratumoral macrophages required for tumor regression
ISA Pharmaceuticals B.V., a clinical-stage immunotherapy company focusing on rationally designed immunotherapeutics against cancer and persistent viral infections, today announced the publication of a new peer-reviewed paper* demonstrating a beneficial effect of Synthetic Long Peptide (SLP®s) immunotherapeutics on intratumoral macrophages in cancers induced by human papilloma virus 16 (HPV16). ISA’s proprietary SLP® immunotherapeutics are rationally designed, off-the-shelf, synthetic peptides which ISA is developing as cancer immunotherapeutics. The company’s SLP® lead compound ISA101 is in clinical development for the treatment of early-stage, advanced and recurrent cancers induced by HPV16 infections.
Macrophages, a type of white blood cell, play a critical role in immunity by recruiting other immune cells and exerting effector functions, such as phagocytosis and cell or bacterial killing. They exist in two major and opposing types: The so-called M1 macrophages inhibit cell proliferation and cause tissue damage, while M2 macrophages promote cell proliferation and tissue repair. Cancer is often characterized by M2 activity, which facilitates tumor growth via angiogenesis, metastasis formation and suppression of Th1-type immune responses, among others. As a result, M2 macrophage infiltration of tumors commonly correlates with poor prognosis.
Based on these observations, the targeting of macrophages or inhibition of macrophage infiltration is considered a promising therapeutic option in cancer therapy. However, as part of an ongoing investigation into tumor immunotherapy, the authors of the paper cited below were able to demonstrate that skewing the macrophages towards M1 antitumor activity might be the optimal strategy instead. In animal studies, this skewing can be accomplished with ISA’s Synthetic Long Peptide (SLP®) immunotherapeutics.
The team of researchers used a mouse tumor model of HPV-induced cancers, such as cervical cancer, and HPV-positive head and neck cancer. Administration of an SLP® compound, among others, resulted in an influx of cytokine-producing CD8 T cells that strongly altered the numbers and phenotype of intratumoral macrophages from M2 to M1 activity. It was also demonstrated that complete regressions of large established tumors are dependent on the tumor-infiltrating macrophages induced by this immunotherapy: when a small molecule drug inhibitor diminished the number of intratumoral macrophages after SLP® administration, the complete remissions were abrogated and survival rates deteriorated.
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* van der Sluis TC et al. (2015), Therapeutic peptide vaccine-induced CD8 T cells strongly modulate intratumoral macrophages required for tumor regression. Cancer Immunol Res. 2015 Apr 17. pii: canimm.0052.2015
Company News: Curetis Strengthens Executive Team; Appoints Dr. Achim Plum as Chief Commercial Officer
– Former Siemens Healthcare manager adds broad expertise in molecular diagnostics, sales, marketing, and business development
Curetis AG, a developer of next-level molecular diagnostic solutions, today announced Dr. Achim Plum has been appointed to the newly-created role of Chief Commercial Officer. Dr. Plum joins Curetis from a senior management position at Siemens, where he focused on the assessment and development of novel approaches to the in vitro diagnostic (IVD) market. He will oversee all commercial activities, including international sales, business development, marketing and medical affairs.
Dr. Plum will focus on the continued expansion of Curetis’ commercial organization and infrastructure with the goal of achieving aggressive revenue growth targets in Europe, Asia and the rest of the world. He will also establish a U.S.-based commercial team to support the launch of the Unyvero Solution following FDA approval.
Prior to his position at Siemens, Dr. Plum spent eight years in various commercial roles at Epigenomics, a publicly-traded molecular diagnostics company, most recently as Senior Vice President Business and Strategy. At Epigenomics, he built sales and marketing teams and distribution networks in Europe and the U.S., negotiated strategic commercial agreements with leading diagnostics industry players and led the public company’s corporate communications and compliance functions. He brings significant capital markets experience through his involvement in multiple financing transactions with U.S. and international investors.
Company News: Oberland Capital Raises $425 Million Healthcare Royalty and Credit Opportunities Fund
– Significantly Exceeds Target –
Oberland Capital, an investment firm focused on the global healthcare industry, announced today the closing of its inaugural royalty and credit opportunities fund, Oberland Capital Healthcare, with $425 million in capital commitments.
Oberland Capital provides healthcare companies, institutions and inventors customized financing solutions with an emphasis on the biopharmaceutical, medical device and diagnostic sectors. The fund targets investments ranging from $15 million to $100 million and has the ability to execute substantially larger transactions.
“We are grateful for the support shown by our limited partners in helping us to significantly surpass the $350 million target size for our first fund. The strong response from investors is a testament to the quality and experience of our investment team and the demand for non-correlated investment strategies. We look forward to building a diversified portfolio of attractive healthcare investments,” said Andrew Rubinstein, Managing Partner.
The development and commercialization of breakthrough medical technologies is highly capital intensive, creating a large market opportunity for Oberland Capital Healthcare. “Our flexible, long-term financing solutions provide an attractive source of capital to healthcare companies, institutions and inventors,” added Jean-Pierre Naegeli, Managing Partner. “We are excited to work with our transaction partners worldwide to enable them to meet their strategic and financial objectives.”
Investors in Oberland Capital Healthcare include public and corporate pension plans, financial institutions, foundations and endowments located throughout the United States and Europe.
Company News: Curetis Expands Commercial Organization
– Augmented direct sales force, led by new Head of International Sales to broaden reach in key European markets
– New distribution partnerships in Italy and Middle East
Curetis AG, a developer of next-level molecular diagnostic solutions, today announced the strategic expansion of its sales and marketing program in Europe and the Middle East. The company appointed Klaudija Kiesinger as Head of International Sales for Western Europe and will add four new members to its broader international sales and marketing team by mid-year, bringing the total commercial team size to 14. With this sales force expansion, Curetis has added the U.K., France and the Benelux region (Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg) to its direct-sales markets.
In addition, the Company announced its increased reach into Italy and the Middle East with exclusive, multi-year distribution partnerships. Curetis will distribute the Unyvero Solution through Arrow Diagnostics in Italy and Al Zahrawi Medical in the Middle East (Qatar and the United Arab Emirates).
Since 2012, Curetis has grown to an installed base of more than 60 Unyvero analyzers. The Company currently has 80 systems in the supply chain for 2015, affording customers the potential to run assays covering more than 100 analytes in two highly-multiplexed application cartridges (P55 for pneumonia and i60 for implant and tissue infections). In 2015, the Unyvero product pipeline will be expanded and enhanced by the BC70 Blood Culture Application cartridge. In the coming years, Curetis plans to add further cartridge applications in the fields of sepsis, gastrointestinal tract infections, tuberculosis, CNS infections and pediatrics, among others.
At present, there are several investigator-initiated clinical studies in pediatric applications underway. Various potential pharma projects using Unyvero in clinical trial designs for the development of novel antibiotics afford Curetis additional opportunities for commercial expansion.
In addition to these platform and product enhancements, the Company is expanding its geographic scope, with an FDA trial underway in the U.S. and pre-commercial activities in Asia and other non-European countries.