On December 15, 2021 Akoya Biosciences, Inc., (Nasdaq: AKYA), The Spatial Biology Company, reported its next-generation of innovations to enable unbiased spatial phenotyping at unprecedented speeds, setting a new standard in spatial biology (Press release, Akoya Biosciences, DEC 15, 2021, View Source [SID1234597185]). The comprehensive roadmap includes additions to the instrument portfolio and novel chemistries that, collectively, make it the most integrated suite of solutions spanning discovery, translational and clinical research.

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As part of the instrument portfolio expansion, the company announced the imminent launch of the PhenoCycler-Fusion System, a transformational platform that allows researchers to map a million cells in as little as 10 minutes. The new system combines the strengths of the company’s best-in-class ultrahigh multiplex cycling technology, CODEX, and the industry-leading high-speed imaging capabilities of its Vectra Polaris system, into an integrated platform that is positioned to revolutionize spatial discovery and translational research. This fusion of the company’s foundational technological capabilities delivers ultrahigh multiplexed imaging at single-cell and subcellular resolution across entire slides, more than ten times faster than traditional methods.

To underscore the powerful future of this integrated spatial phenotyping portfolio, Akoya is rebranding its existing products. Effective January 2022, CODEX will become PhenoCycler, the Phenoptics workflow will be renamed as the PhenoImager workflow, and the Vectra Polaris instrument will become the PhenoImager HT instrument.

In addition to enabling unbiased spatial discovery through rapid whole-slide imaging, the PhenoCycler-Fusion has a tunable workflow that allows researchers to run large panels in discovery mode and focused panels in high throughput mode. This unique capability accelerates the translation of spatial biomarker signatures onto the PhenoImager HT instrument for clinical research applications.

With the PhenoCycler-Fusion at the core of its strategic roadmap, Akoya also previewed upcoming innovations in its reagent chemistry. For the first time, the company will enable spatial transcriptomics capabilities on its platforms, leveraging a novel RNA chemistry. Incorporating both proteomic and transcriptomic analysis capabilities from the same tissue sample makes PhenoCycler-Fusion the only practical solution for complete multiomic assessment of cellular phenotypes, with whole-slide spatial context.

In addition, Akoya also previewed a novel protein chemistry that supports the development of universal barcoded antibodies to run on both its PhenoCycler-Fusion and PhenoImager instruments, enabling researchers to optimize the same spatial phenotyping assay from discovery, all the way to clinical research.

"Our comprehensive roadmap for unbiased, multiomic spatial phenotyping will enable our customers to further accelerate their use of our platforms, enabling more rapid discovery and validation of predictive biomarkers," said Brian McKelligon, Chief Executive Officer of Akoya Biosciences. "We’re excited to see how the scientific community will apply these innovations in advancing our understanding of biology and human health."

The PhenoCycler-Fusion System will be shipped in limited quantities to selected sites in December 2021, with a full commercial launch set for January 2022. More details on the universal RNA and protein chemistries will be revealed throughout 2022. To stay up-to-date on the launch, sign up at akoyabio.com/fusion.

A recording of Akoya’s Spatial Day Event can be accessed at akoyabio.com/spatialday.

On December 15, 2021 Bionaut Labs, a company focused on revolutionizing the treatment of central nervous system disorders (CNS) with its Bionaut precision medicine treatment modality, and Candel Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: CADL), a late clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel oncolytic viral immunotherapies, reported a strategic collaboration to investigate the use of Bionaut’s remote-controlled microscale robots for precision delivery of Candel’s oncolytic viral immunotherapy agents to specific brain tumors (Press release, Bionaut Labs, DEC 15, 2021, View Source [SID1234597181]).

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Bionaut Labs will apply its micro-robotic technology under the guidance of an integrated electro-magnetic control system to deliver Candel’s oncolytic viruses directly to brain tumors in a minimally invasive manner. The parties will jointly research the use of the Bionaut platform in the preclinical setting with an aim of advancing to clinical trials. The agreement enables both parties to retain unencumbered rights to their respective platforms, as well as rights for future clinical development together.

"With the goal of maximizing the benefit to patients, Candel continues to evaluate expansion of our clinically validated oncolytic viral immunotherapy approach into additional subsets of patients with high-grade glioma using novel methods, such as the Bionaut platform, to deliver our investigational medicines," said Paul Peter Tak, MD, PhD, FMedSci, President and CEO of Candel Therapeutics. "We look forward to this collaboration with Bionaut Labs in the hope that it will ultimately lead to better outcomes for patients living with brain cancer."

"Bionaut Labs is excited to partner with Candel, a leader in developing oncolytic viruses for multiple cancers, to advance much-needed treatment options for brain cancer patients leveraging our transformative Bionaut platform technology," said Michael Shpigelmacher, co-founder and CEO, Bionaut Labs. "The research we plan to jointly undertake validates our approach and will enable advancement of our technology as we continue our mission of helping patients suffering from debilitating brain diseases who lack effective treatments. We look forward to working with Candel, as this collaboration has the potential to re-envision the standard of care for high-grade gliomas and make a meaningful difference in patients’ lives."

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

About Bionaut Treatment
A Bionaut is a novel treatment modality that uses remote-controlled microscale robots to deliver biologics, nucleic acids, small molecule, gene or cellular therapies locally to targeted CNS disease areas. Through precise targeting, Bionaut therapeutics could offer better efficacy and safety that cannot be achieved by other traditional treatment or delivery modalities.

Bionauts can be constructed in different designs with custom geometries and surface characteristics. Smaller than a millimeter, they contain moving parts controlled remotely by a magnetic controller, allowing them to safely reach the target and release a therapeutic payload from the cargo compartment. Engineering flexibility provides a broad foundation for designing Bionaut therapies for nearly any disease of interest.

Bionaut Labs has demonstrated safe and controlled navigation of its therapeutic Bionaut to and from the treatment locus in the brain, in a large animal in vivo model. Furthermore, the Company has successfully treated human glioma tumors established in mice, utilizing guided delivery of therapeutic cargos directly into these tumors to eliminate systemic toxicity. These results pave the way to the clinical trials of the Bionaut platform.

On December 14, 2021 Aucentra reported that it is excited to be awarded a seed-start grant of $700k by the South Australian government’s research and innovation fund (Press release, Aucentra, DEC 14, 2021, View Source [SID1234606756]). This funding will be used to test Aucentra’s leading drug candidate Auceliciclib.

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Auceliciclib, if successful in its clinical trials, will be a game-changing treatment of glioblastoma multiforme, which is the most aggressive type of brain cancer and the most difficult to treat.

The Minister for Innovation and Skills David Pisoni recognised Aucentra’s ground-breaking achievements; "I am incredibly proud of Professor Wang and her team at the University of South Australia for the amazing work they have accomplished".

Auceliciclib is a CDK4 and 6 inhibitor with a high specificity which allows for prevention of cancer cell growth and proliferation with fewer side effects. Read the full article here: View Source

On December 14, 2021 Aucentra reported that it is excited to be awarded a seed-start grant of $700k by the South Australian government’s research and innovation fund (Press release, Aucentra, DEC 14, 2021, View Source [SID1234598161]). This funding will be used to test Aucentra’s leading drug candidate Auceliciclib.

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Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

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Auceliciclib, if successful in its clinical trials, will be a game-changing treatment of glioblastoma multiforme, which is the most aggressive type of brain cancer and the most difficult to treat.

The Minister for Innovation and Skills David Pisoni recognised Aucentra’s ground-breaking achievements; "I am incredibly proud of Professor Wang and her team at the University of South Australia for the amazing work they have accomplished".

Auceliciclib is a CDK4 and 6 inhibitor with a high specificity which allows for prevention of cancer cell growth and proliferation with fewer side effects. Read the full article here: View Source

On December 14, 2021 Carterra, Inc. the world leader in label-free high throughput antibody screening and characterization, reported that it has signed an exclusive Asia-Pacific and Oceania region distribution agreement with PerkinElmer, Inc. a global leader committed to innovating for a healthier world (Press release, PerkinElmer, DEC 14, 2021, View Source [SID1234597443]). With the agreement, PerkinElmer will market, sell, and service Carterra’s flagship LSA high-throughput surface plasmon resonance (SPR) platform and software used for accelerating the discovery of therapeutic antibodies.

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This move will assist Carterra in meeting growing customer demand by leveraging PerkinElmer’s long-standing channel infrastructure in the region. It will also add additional tools to PerkinElmer’s growing portfolio of science and biologics discovery offerings, which includes its world leading BioLegend antibody and reagent technologies.

This new agreement builds on the equity investment PerkinElmer made in Carterra last December, which has resulted in several collaborations between the companies involving assay development and software integration projects over the past year.

Commenting on this latest distribution arrangement, Alan Fletcher, Senior Vice President, Life Science, PerkinElmer, said, "We are delighted to add the distribution of Carterra’s highly innovative LSA technology to help our Asia-Pacific and Oceania customers further streamline and advance their biologic and biotherapeutic discovery and development work."

"Carterra recognized early on that Asia-Pacific and Oceania would be important markets for our game changing biologics discovery products and we are at the point where we need additional reach and channel power to help us take our customer delivery there to the next level, " stated Tim Germann, Chief Commercial Officer at Carterra. "We are excited to collaborate with PerkinElmer to add that extra horsepower in sales, marketing and service as well as benefit from their deep life science expertise across drug development workflows."