On March 14, 2022 Iaso Therapeutics, a research program focused on the development of novel technologies for next-generation vaccines, reported it has received a $978,597 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for phase 2 of its development program (Press release, Iaso Therapeutics, MAR 14, 2022, View Source [SID1234626569]). The grant, titled Proprietary Bacteriophage Qβ Mutant as a Platform Carrier for Next-Generation Vaccines, will allow Iaso Therapeutics to acquire data and test its technology and methods to create powerful and versatile vaccine carriers for pre-clinical and clinical studies.

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"Vaccines have become one of the most successful tools to protect us from deadly infectious diseases, and the COVID-19 pandemic only further highlighted this fact," said Robert Forgey, president and CEO at Iaso Therapeutics. "The funding we are receiving from the National Science Foundation will not only pave the way for the future of our program, but also serve as a large step forward in the treatment and management of diseases that were previously considered uncurable or untreatable."

Iaso Therapeutics’ bacteriophage Qβ mutants (mQβ) carrier technology was designed to elicit superior antibody responses for vaccines. By creating this carrier, Iaso Therapeutics aims to address a wide range of biomedical needs, including human infectious diseases like pneumonia and recurrent cancers.

"The National Science Foundation is proud to support the technology of the future by thinking beyond incremental developments and funding the most creative, impactful ideas across all markets and areas of science and engineering," said Andrea Belz, division director of the Division of Industrial Innovation and Partnerships at NSF. "With the support of our research funds, any deep technology startup or small business can guide basic science into meaningful solutions that address tremendous needs."

Prior to the grant from the NSF, Iaso Therapeutics successfully raised $2.25 million for phase 1 research through federal research grants, an investment from Red Cedar Ventures and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s Emerging Technology Fund.

"We are able to develop our technology thanks to the grants, investments and funding so vital to this research," said Dr. Xuefei Huang, founder and chief science officer at Iaso Therapeutics. "The carrier technology that we are creating, and testing will allow biotechnological companies to develop effective vaccines like never before. We see our mQβ technology addressing a wide range of biomedical needs to advance the health and welfare of the public."

To learn more about the science behind Iaso Therapeutics and stay up to date throughout phase 2, visit View Source

On March 14, 2022 Netris Pharma reported The selected companies will receive grants and/or equity investments, depending on their needs, up to a maximum of EUR 17.5 million (Press release, Netris Pharma, MAR 14, 2022, View Source [SID1234611186]). They were selected following a rigorous process, introduced under Horizon Europe, involving an ideas screening stage, and full applications assessed by external experts and an interview with a jury of experienced investors and entrepreneurs.

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The selected companies have a wide geographical spread spanning 21 countries, including seven from Horizon Europe "widening countries" that have lower levels of research and innovation performance. The selection also confirms the high demand for EIC equity investments with 65 of the 99 companies requesting equity investments of up to EUR 414 million (out of the total EUR 627 million). In most cases, the companies will receive the grant financing within the coming months, while the equity investment is likely to take longer as the arrangements for implementing EIC equity need to be re-established under Horizon Europe. This delay will also affect companies selected in the previous funding round.

On March 14, 2022 NETRIS Pharma reported the arrival of Frédéric Le Bras, MD; as the new company Chief Medical Officer (Press release, Netris Pharma, MAR 14, 2022, View Source [SID1234611182]). Graduated from René Descartes University in Paris, Frédéric obtained his oncology degree from the Gustave Roussy Institute and mainly worked in pharmaceutical industries in medical affairs, in oncology, rare diseases and immunology, both in France and in Europe.

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"We are very excited to welcome Frederic at NETRIS Pharma" comments Patrick Mehlen, CEO. "Frédéric has a very large experience in the pharmaceutical industry to conduct clinical trial. His timely venue will be instrumental especially when considering the upcoming combination trials that will soon start with our lead asset NP137".

After 29 years spent in oncology and in specialty care in big pharma, Frédéric is very enthusiastic to join NETRIS Pharma: "Not only the great hope of developing a first-in-class compound bringing new hopes in cancer is an exciting challenge but bringing my expertise to a very scientific and dynamic French human-size clinical stage company in Oncology is definitively a new personal project " says Frédéric, adding that "Oncology is like a marathon: you have to start running as fast as you can without forgetting the long way you still have to run."

On March 14, 2022 NETRIS Pharma reported that the ANR (Agence Nationale de la Recherche) allocated a 6.6 M€ grant to the RHU DEPGYN project aiming to develop new therapeutic approaches targeting the dependence receptors in gynecological cancers (Press release, Netris Pharma, MAR 14, 2022, View Source [SID1234611181]).

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This project will be coordinated by Prof. Jean-Yves Blay, Director of the Léon Bérard comprehensive cancer center, and will consist in collaboration with NETRIS Pharma and Deeplink Medical (i) in performing a clinical POC exploring the netrin-1 mAb in combination with anti-cancer drugs and ICPI in gynecological cancers, renowned for their poor prognosis in advanced stages and for the lack of efficient systemic therapies. Additional aims include (ii) improving general knowledge on DRs in the biology of human cancers in vivoand the associated MoA of interfering with netrin-1/DR interactions, as well as (iii) to perform an ambitious ancillary/translational program to identify biomarkers of efficacy for each netrin-1 mAb/combination treatment.

On March 14, 2022 NETRIS Pharma, a pioneer in the development of dependence receptor targeted cancer medicines, reported the start of enrollment of patients with advanced/metastatic solid tumors in its Phase I clinical study of NP137, a humanized monoclonal antibody targeting Netrin-1 (NCT02977195) (Press release, Netris Pharma, MAR 14, 2022, View Source [SID1234611179]). The study represents the first time a drug candidate targeting dependence receptors has been evaluated in humans. Dependence receptors are tumor suppressors that trigger cell death unless engaged by a ligand, in this case Netrin-1. Blocking Netrin-1 could re-introduce the natural tumor cell death pathway.

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"The launch of this first of its kind clinical trial represents a key milestone in the dependence receptor field as well as for NETRIS Pharma in our commitment to find new therapeutic solutions for cancer patients," said Patrick Mehlen, CEO and co-founder of NETRIS Pharma. "We see in this study the confirmation of the ability to translate the potential of our innovative approach on dependence receptors to a first application of a drug candidate in patients."

This open-label study includes a first phase of dose escalation, followed by an extension phase. The main objective of the dose escalation phase is to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of NP137 and the recommended Phase II (RP2D) dose. The main objective of the extension phase is to confirm the safety and tolerance of NP137 and collect preliminary clinical activity data.

The study will recruit a maximum of 44 patients in three French centers, the Centre Léon Bérard in Lyon (Prof. Philippe Cassier – principal investigator of the study), the Institut Claudius Régaud in Toulouse and the Institut Gustave Roussy in Villejuif.

"The new therapeutic approach developed by NETRIS Pharma explores a so far non-druggable pathway in oncology. It offers another avenue of research to help us achieve the precision medicine needed in treating cancer. If the Phase I safety profile, which is expected in 2017, is positive, NP137 may represent a major therapeutic advance in the management of cancer patients," said Prof. Jean-Yves Blay, Director General of the Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon.

About Dependence Receptors Concept
Cells depend on external signals for their survival. These signals are mediated by various transmembrane receptors and sensors, such as soluble trophic factors, cytokines, hormones. For any given required stimulus, withdrawal leads to programmed cell death (apoptosis). Data obtained over the past 15 years, pioneered by Prof Patrick Mehlen and his research team at the Cancer Research Center of Lyon – Centre Léon Bérard, argue for a novel form of signal transduction that actively induces cell death following stimulus withdrawal.

This "negative signal transduction" leading to cell death is mediated by specific dependence receptors that induce apoptosis in the absence of the required stimulus, but block apoptosis in its presence. The expression of various dependence receptors at the surface of the cells seems to create a state of dependence (or addiction) to their respective ligands. To date, more than twenty of such receptors have been identified.

About NP137
Most types of tumors have been shown to produce an abnormal amount of dependence receptors’ ligands, thus preventing cells from dying. For instance, the Netrin-1 ligand has been shown to be overexpressed in 60% of metastatic breast cancers, in more than 70% of ovarian cancers, 50% of lung cancers or 80% of melanoma. Its expression often correlates with disease severity and no therapy has ever been tested on this new pathway.

NP137, a humanized monoclonal antibody of isotype IgG1 directed against the ligand Netrin-1, is the first drug candidate developed by NETRIS Pharma. NP137 prevents the binding of Netrin-1 on its dependence receptors, thus re-inducing cell death and leading to tumor growth regression.

Pre-clinical studies show an anti-cancer effect of NP137 in mice, in monotherapy but also in combination with demethylating agents and chemotherapy agents. In addition, remarkable effects are observed on tumor relapse. A synergistic effect of NP137 with immune-checkpoint inhibitors has also been observed, opening novel strategies for clinical investigation.