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GE Healthcare Announces Multi-Year Agreement with SQM to Secure Iodine Supply for Contrast Media

On October 13, 2022 GE Healthcare’s Pharmaceutical Diagnostics business reported a long-term agreement with Chile-based mining company, Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile S.A. (SQM) (NYSE: SQM; Santiago Stock Exchange: SQM-B, SQM-A), to secure its supply of iodine, a key ingredient for contrast media products used in X-Ray and Computed Tomography (CT) procedures globally (Press release, GE Healthcare, OCT 13, 2022, View Source [SID1234622010]). The agreement will see SQM increase supply of iodine raw material year-on-year and is part of GE Healthcare’s broader commitment and investment plan to enable the production of 30 million more patient doses of iodinated contrast media annually by 2025.

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The growing global prevalence of chronic disorders has driven significant growth in CT procedures, leading to increased global demand for iodinated contrast media, used to enhance visualization of organs, blood vessels and tissues across clinical care pathways. GE Healthcare is also investing in production capacity to help meet this growing demand, including a new $30 million manufacturing line at its Cork, Ireland, contrast media production facility, which opens this week.

Kevin O’Neill, President and CEO, GE Healthcare Pharmaceutical Diagnostics, said: "We expect global demand for iodinated contrast media to double in the next 10 years. As an industry leader, we understand our responsibility to help meet this growing demand from customers and patients by investing in production capacity and securing higher volumes of iodine raw material. As one of the largest consumers of iodine globally we value our longstanding relationship with SQM, an important partner for us."

Pablo Altimiras, Executive Vice President of Iodine and Nitrates, SQM, said: "We’re pleased to continue our relationship with GE Healthcare – a key customer for us for more than 40 years. As one of the largest producers of iodine worldwide with approximately 24 percent of our production used for X-ray contrast media, we are committed to the iodine industry and will continue to improve quality and increase capacity to ensure the reliability of supply, which is essential to so many sectors, including healthcare."

GE Healthcare Pharmaceutical Diagnostics develops and manufactures imaging agents used to support over 100 million procedures per year, equivalent to three patient procedures every second. All stages of its contrast media manufacturing, from development of API to finished product, are managed entirely by GE Healthcare, adhering to current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP). With over 4000 employees globally and seven manufacturing sites, the business also develops and supplies radiopharmaceuticals used to support diagnosis, monitoring and treatment selection across Neurology, Cardiology and Oncology clinical pathways.

Xcell Biosciences and aCGT Vector Collaborate to Accelerate Development of Cell and Gene Therapies

On October 13, 2022 Xcell Biosciences Inc. (Xcellbio), an instrumentation company focused on cell and gene therapy applications, and aCGT Vector, a point-of-care cell and gene therapy-as-a-service (TaaS) company, reported a collaboration to improve manufacturing and analytic procedures used to develop personalized cell and gene therapies for cancer patients (Press release, Xcell Biosciences, OCT 13, 2022, View Source [SID1234622009]). Through this alliance, aCGT Vector will provide its point-of-care, GMP-licensed manufacturing platform to validate Xcellbio’s core next-generation manufacturing and analytical AVATAR AI technology for use in precision cancer treatment.

"We are looking forward to working with the Xcellbio team and to utilizing the well-established AVATAR platform to further power our TaaS platform to deliver and deploy precision medicine proximal to patients," said Gary McAuslan, CEO and co-founder of aCGT Vector. "We believe our joint efforts will further accelerate the creation of automated, end-to-end cell therapy manufacturing and QC release platforms to streamline processing and optimize patient outcomes."

aCGT Vector’s enclosed, GMP-compliant manufacturing environment will demonstrate the use of Xcellbio’s AVATAR AI to support development and deployment of cell therapeutic procedures proximal to patients in the treatment of cancers. Through mimicking the tumor microenvironment (TME) ex vivo, AVATAR AI delivers unique capabilities to support the development of therapeutic products with improved potency and persistence as well as reduced cell exhaustion. Proprietary technology enables tight control and modulation of atmospheric pressures and oxygen concentrations in direct contact with the cell therapy product.

The AVATAR AI leverages the tight environmental control of the proven AVATAR product family, and pairs it with a specialized reader to enable real-time, label-free cell killing analysis of cell therapies targeting solid tumors. Focused on establishing next-gen immunotherapy testing workflows, the AVATAR AI system is currently in late-stage beta.

"With the tremendous promise of cell therapies and the current challenges in treating patients with solid tumors, there is more interest in both designing manufacturing conditions to optimize potency, persistence, and quality and in characterizing cell potency as a critical attribute in cell therapy manufacturing," said Brian Feth, co-founder and CEO at Xcellbio. "We are pleased to partner with aCGT Vector and to pair their manufacturing expertise with our unique approach to measuring and improving therapeutic potency. Together, our objective is to advance the development and deployment of cell therapies, such as CAR-T and tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte technologies, to treat solid tumors. We look forward to supporting aCGT and their initiatives, including the next-generation cell therapies for the cancer-focused HEALED Consortium."

Iterative Scopes Partners with One GI® to Advance Gastrointestinal Care Through Artificial Intelligence

On October 13, 2022 Iterative Scopes, a pioneer in precision-medicine technologies for gastroenterology, reported that it has partnered with One GI, a gastroenterology management services organization (MSO), to bring its AI Recruitment (AIR) technology to One GI’s clinical research (Press release, Iterative Scopes, OCT 13, 2022, View Source [SID1234622008]). Initially, One GI will use AIR at Gastro One, one of One GI’s clinical research sites in Memphis, Tennessee, with plans to expand to additional research sites within the One GI network. The implementation of AIR will aid in the recruitment of patients for clinical trials focused on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Both One GI and Iterative Scopes are fast-growing innovators in the gastroenterology space. One GI is a unique, rapidly expanding MSO that brings together community-based practices, including Gastro One, a network of six practices across Tennessee. The MSO currently has 40 sites within its network across Tennessee, Mississippi, Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana. Iterative Scopes is a pioneer in the application of powerful, proprietary artificial intelligence tools to the practice of gastroenterology and drug development.

The partnership between the two organizations will allow One GI physicians to leverage the AI-based technology from Iterative Scopes to standardize the endoscopic scoring process for patients and identify likely eligible patients to enroll in IBD clinical trials. By initiating the collaboration at Gastro One, the organizations are taking initial steps to develop a hub and spoke recruitment model for One GI, which will democratize access to the novel IBD therapeutics for all patients, regardless of where they receive care.

"Our partnership with Iterative Scopes enables the delivery of innovative technology to community-based gastroenterology practices, demonstrating One GI’s commitment to physician-centered, patient-focused healthcare," said Robbie Allen, CEO of One GI. "Our ultimate mission is to power practices – regardless of their location – to deliver world class GI care, and implementing AIR will allow a broader array of patients to access potentially life-changing clinical trials."

"In addition to helping us offer the most advanced patient care, this partnership fuels the continuous growth of our research department so that we remain at the forefront of GI care, improving outcomes and patients’ lives," said Richard Aycock, MD, Gastro One senior physician. "Dr. Ziad Younes, a global leader in gastroenterology, is pioneering the program within our practices, and we’re enthusiastic about the potential to help advance the GI field even further."

AIR works to simplify the process of matching patients to clinical trials by helping gastroenterologists better understand disease severity more quickly and consistently. The technology uses computational algorithms integrated with existing colonoscopy imagery and videos to determine clinical trial eligibility, speeding up the clinical trial timelines and allowing more patients to access potentially life-changing treatments. The company’s technology automates scoring of a patient’s minimum threshold score of disease severity, as measured by the Mayo Endoscopic Score (MES), as an aid in determining their qualification for pre-screening for IBD clinical trials. Iterative Scopes has already partnered with multiple clinical research sites for IBD and is continuing to expand its reach with notable partners like One GI.

"Iterative Scopes’ mission is to democratize access to high quality care for patients struggling with IBD and other GI conditions, ultimately reducing healthcare disparities in clinical practice," said Sahir Raoof, VP of Business Development at Iterative Scopes. "We are thrilled to be partnering with Dr. Younes and One GI to drive clinical adoption of artificial intelligence to help us advance clinical trial recruitment in an effort to help bring novel therapeutics to IBD patients faster."

GRAIL and Carrum Health Partner to Include Galleri® as Part of Comprehensive Cancer Care Offering to Employers

On October 13, 2022 GRAIL, LLC, a healthcare company whose mission is to detect cancer early when it can be cured, and Carrum Health, the first digital health company connecting employers and employees to Centers of Excellence (COEs) through a technology-powered, value-based care platform, reported a first-of-its-kind partnership to include the Galleri multi-cancer early detection (MCED) test as part of Carrum Health’s oncology offering to self-insured employers (Press release, Grail, OCT 13, 2022, View Source [SID1234622007]). This product integration will enable employers who offer Carrum Health benefits to provide eligible employees the Galleri test as part of the comprehensive cancer care Carrum delivers.

"In developing Carrum’s comprehensive oncology offering we’ve carefully selected partners who share in our mission to tackle both the rising costs of cancer care and solutions that vastly improve the patient experience," said Sach Jain, CEO and founder of Carrum Health. "GRAIL’s early cancer detection test is a critical component in a comprehensive oncology offering and we’re thrilled to extend this benefit to Carrum members."

In a clinical study, the Galleri test demonstrated the ability to detect a shared signal across more than 50 types of cancers, over 45 of which lack recommended screening tests today. Using advanced genomics and machine learning, the test also predicts the origin of the cancer signal, which enables targeted diagnostic evaluation. Recently announced results from the PATHFINDER clinical trial showed adding the Galleri MCED test to standard of care screening more than doubled the number of cancers detected, and the test predicted where a cancer signal originated with 97% accuracy.

"An MCED test like Galleri complements existing screenings and represents a new approach with the potential to find cancer at earlier stages and to improve healthcare outcomes and efficiencies," said Bob Ragusa, chief executive officer at GRAIL. "We are proud to partner with Carrum Health, who shares our commitment to transforming cancer care and reducing rising healthcare costs."

Members who receive a signal detected from the Galleri test can work with a Carrum Health COE for diagnostic evaluation and guideline-concordant treatment planning. As part of Carrum Health’s comprehensive offering, members are paired with a personal patient care specialist who handles all administrative aspects of the program and guides the member throughout the entire journey. Once treatment starts with a selected provider, patients and their care team can leverage the COEs’ expertise for input and guidance as needed and will have access to an oncology-certified nurse and remote support services.

Nutcracker Therapeutics to Present Data for Lead Candidate at 2022 SITC Annual Meeting

On October 13, 2022 Nutcracker Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company dedicated to developing transformative RNA therapies through its proprietary technology platform, reported the upcoming poster presentation of new preclinical data for its lead therapeutic candidate, NTX-0250, which targets human papillomavirus (HPV)-driven cancers (Press release, Nutcracker Therapeutics, OCT 13, 2022, View Source [SID1234622006]). The company will present this data at the 37th annual meeting of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) (Free SITC Whitepaper), being held in Boston, MA, from November 8-12, 2022.

The poster presentation will showcase data that demonstrates that NTX-0250, a multimodal, mRNA-based therapeutic, is capable of inducing the complete regression of large murine tumors. The details about the presentation and session information are as follows:

Title: NTX-0250, a multimodal mRNA-based immunotherapy, eradicates large established tumors in a stringent mouse model of HPV16-driven cancer.
Abstract Number: 1084
Presentation Session: Immune-stimulants and immune modulators
Presentation Date and Time: Friday, Nov. 11, 2022, 11:55–1:25 p.m. and Poster Reception (7–8:30 p.m.)
Lead Author: Ole A.W. Haabeth

Poster presentations will be accessible in person and virtually. All accepted abstracts will be available in a Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (JITC) supplement, which will be published on Nov. 7 at 8 a.m. EST. For more information about the 37th SITC (Free SITC Whitepaper) annual meeting, please visit View Source