News Archive

MaxCyte continues supporting the advancement of novel therapeutics and looks to support education and advancement of mRNA medicines

ROCKVILLE, Md., Nov. 16, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MaxCyte, Inc., (Nasdaq: MXCT; LSE: MXCT), a leading, cell-engineering focused company providing enabling platform technologies to advance the discovery, development and commercialization of next-generation cell-based therapeutics and innovative bioprocessing applications, today announced that it has joined the Alliance for mRNA Medicines (AMM), as a founding member. AMM is the leading global organization dedicated to advancing and advocating for mRNA and next-generation encoding RNA therapeutics and vaccines for the benefit of patients, public health and society. AMM’s mission is to propel the future of mRNA medicines, improve patients’ lives, and advance scientific knowledge by convening and empowering mRNA industry leaders, innovators, scientists and other key stakeholders. MaxCyte is one of 31 founding members comprised of biotechnology, biopharma and life sciences companies and educational institutions. 

— Arcellx to receive $200M equity investment at $61.68 per share and an $85 million upfront cash payment —

— Kite exercises option to Arcellx’s ARC-SparX program ACLX-001 in multiple myeloma —

— The companies expand the scope of their existing collaboration for CART-ddBCMA to include lymphomas —

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. and SANTA MONICA, Calif., Nov. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Arcellx, Inc. (NASDAQ: ACLX) and Kite, a Gilead Company (NASDAQ: GILD), today announced that the companies have expanded their existing collaboration, which was originally announced in December 2022.

Kite has exercised its option to negotiate a license for Arcellx’s ARC-SparX program, ACLX-001, in multiple myeloma, which is comprised of ARC-T cells and SparX proteins that target BCMA. The companies have also expanded the scope of the collaboration for Arcellx’s CART-ddBCMA to include lymphomas.   

“Since entering into this strategic collaboration with Kite almost one year ago, we are thrilled with how the partnership is rapidly progressing and the alignment across our teams,” said Rami Elghandour, Arcellx’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Helping as many cancer patients as possible serves as the core of our collaboration. With the deep and durable responses demonstrated in our CART-ddBCMA Phase 1 trial in multiple myeloma, we believe that our novel synthetic binder, the D-Domain, underscores the potential to engineer a new class of CAR T therapies. We are excited to deepen our relationship with Kite as they continue to invest in our platform by exercising their rights to our ACLX-001 ARC-SparX program in multiple myeloma and increasing their investment in our company. With this additional investment from Kite, our strengthened cash position is anticipated to extend our runway into 2027, as we advance towards commercializing CART-ddBCMA. Additionally, as our partnership deepens, we continue to identify operational efficiencies and additional opportunities to collaborate which are also reflected in this agreement. Importantly, these efficiencies embody the trust developed with our Kite partners and do not alter the original agreement in principle or economics. We look forward to sharing data from our CART-ddBCMA Phase 1 trial at ASH in December.”

The hospital will advocate for the unique needs of children as part of nationwide network working to accelerate transformative health solutions

November 13, 2023 – Children’s National Hospital was selected as a spoke for the Investor Catalyst Hub, a regional hub of ARPANET-H, a nationwide health innovation network launched by the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H).

The Investor Catalyst Hub seeks to accelerate the commercialization of groundbreaking and accessible biomedical solutions. It uses an innovative hub-and-spoke model designed to reach a wide range of nonprofit organizations and Minority-Serving Institutions, with the aim of delivering scalable healthcare outcomes for all Americans.

“The needs of children often differ significantly from those of adults. This partnership reflects our commitment to advancing pediatric healthcare through innovation and making sure we’re addressing those needs effectively,” said Kolaleh Eskandanian, Ph.D., M.B.A., vice president and chief innovation officer at Children’s National. “Leveraging the strength of this hub-and-spoke model, we anticipate delivering transformative solutions to enhance the health and well-being of the patients and families we serve.”

WATERTOWN, Mass. and GAITHERSBURG, Md., Nov. 13, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Selecta Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: SELB) (the Company) today announced that it has merged with Cartesian Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering RNA cell therapies for autoimmune diseases. In connection with the merger, Selecta announced a $60.25 million private financing led by Timothy A. Springer, Ph.D., member of the Selecta Board of Directors.

With the cash from both companies at closing and the proceeds of the concurrent private financing, the combined company is expected to have over $110 million on hand to support the development of the Cartesian pipeline through the Phase 3 study of lead product candidate, Descartes-08, a potential first-in-class RNA-engineered chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy (rCAR-T) for the treatment of MG, as well as the advancement of additional RNA cell therapy programs.

Concurrent with the merger, the combined company has been renamed Cartesian Therapeutics, Inc. The Company’s Nasdaq ticker symbol will change to “RNAC” effective prior to the opening of trading tomorrow, November 14, 2023.

ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND, November 13, 2023 – BioHealth Innovation, Inc. (BHI), a leading organization dedicated to supporting and advancing the BioHealth industry, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Eric S. Edwards, Co-founder and CEO of Phlow Corporation, to its Board of Directors. In addition, Donna J. Edmonds, CEO of BRAINBox Solutions, Inc., has been appointed as the new Vice Chair of the Board.

“We are incredibly excited to welcome Dr. Eric S. Edwards to our Board of Directors and to appoint Donna J. Edmonds as our new Vice Chair,” said Richard Bendis, BHI President and CEO. “Dr. Edwards’ remarkable achievements in pharmaceutical innovation and his dedication to improving healthcare delivery are perfectly aligned with our mission at BHI. Similarly, Donna’s extensive experience and proven leadership in the healthcare sector will be invaluable as we continue to drive forward our vision. Their appointments signify BHI’s continued journey towards fostering a robust and dynamic BioHealth ecosystem in our region.”

Dr. Eric S. Edwards, currently the Co-founder and CEO of Phlow Corporation, brings a wealth of experience and innovation to BioHealth Innovation, Inc. (BHI). With a remarkable career spanning pharmaceuticals and healthcare, Dr. Edwards is at the forefront of securing the supply chain for critical essential medicines in America. His visionary leadership extends beyond Phlow, as he co-founded Kaléo, Inc., a pharmaceutical company dedicated to novel treatments for chronic and acute-care diseases.

US-based biotech company VLP Therapeutics, Inc. (VLPT) and its Tokyo-based group company VLP Therapeutics Japan, Inc. (VLPT Japan) together announced on November 8 the third closing of its financing round, which secured investments from Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, Limited, a new investor headquartered in Tokyo, and Mr. Robert G. Hisaoka, an existing investor in the US.

With this funding the VLPT group plans to: 1) bolster its vaccine research and development underway in the US for cancer treatment and infectious disease prevention, such as malaria and dengue; and 2) establish a manufacturing facility, which is expected to begin operation in 2024–2025 and will enable VLPT Japan to produce investigational vaccines in-house in Fukuoka, Japan.

GAITHERSBURG, Md., November 7, 2023 – Emergent (NYSE: EBS) has recently submitted a supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking approval for the expansion of the indication for ACAM2000®, Smallpox (Vaccinia) Vaccine, Live to include immunization against mpox virus. The sBLA includes data from a well-controlled animal study in which ACAM2000® vaccine has been shown to be effective in protecting against mpox virus exposure.

“Community transmission of mpox continues to be a public health challenge in the U.S.,” said Paul Williams, SVP and Products Business Head, Emergent BioSolutions. “Our sBLA submission for ACAM2000® reflects Emergent’s commitment to expanding our product capabilities and continuously support the U.S. government as we address emerging infectious diseases and strengthen future preparedness.”

Mpox, formerly called monkeypox, is a rare disease caused by infection with the mpox virus. Mpox virus is part of the same family of viruses as variola virus, the virus that causes smallpox. Mpox symptoms are similar to smallpox symptoms, but milder, and mpox is rarely fatal.¹ Since the start of last year, there have been more than 31,000 mpox cases in the U.S. and 55 deaths, according to the CDC, with more than 91,000 cases and 166 confirmed deaths globally.

BALTIMORE, MD, November 7, 2023 –Irazú Oncology, LLC, a biotechnology research company working to develop the next generation of cancer vaccines, and University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) are marking the one-year anniversary of their exclusive, worldwide license agreement and continuing partnership for the development of UMB’s novel immunotherapeutic vaccine technology. The Company, founded and led by Marco Chacón, PhD, is a UMB startup pursuing its plans to commercialize UMB’s technology as part of its oncology vaccine platform.

Irazú Oncology’s Membrane Vesicle Platform (MVP) technology utilizes nanosized outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) derived from attenuated bacteria to display and deliver tumor antigens to sites of immune response. The OMV vaccines are designed to stimulate the body’s own immune system to attack and destroy tumor cells. The Company’s lead vaccine candidate, IRZ-CRC-1, is a bivalent colorectal cancer vaccine that has shown excellent efficacy in colorectal cancer preclinical models.