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Connecting Industry
and Hadassah University Hospitals
since 1986 |
Hadasit Newsletter - January 2022
INNOVATION SPOTLIGHT
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Hadasit Portfolio Company Cell Cure Signs OpRegen® Deal with Roche for Several Hundred Million Dollars
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In December, Hadasit portfolio company Cell Cure Neurosciences, via its parent company Lineage Cell Therapeutics, entered into exclusive worldwide collaboration with the Genentech arm of Roche for the development and commercialization of OpRegen® retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cell therapy for the treatment of ocular disorders. According to the terms of the deal, Roche will pay Lineage $50 million upfront and, potentially, a further $620 million in milestones-based payments as well as tiered double-digit sales royalties. Genentech will assume responsibility for further clinical development and commercialization of OpRegen®.
Read the full article here
Congratulations to Profs. Benjamin Reubinoff and Eyal Banin who together developed and invented the IP which allows directed differentiation of human embryonic stem cells into retinal pigmented epithelial (RPE) cells. Results of a Phase I/IIa clinical trial suggest the possibility that subretinal transplantation of such cells may benefit patients with the dry form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Prof. Reubinoff is Director of Hadassahw’s Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Center and Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He is one of the pioneers in the field of human embryonic stem cells who took up the challenge of developing them to clinical applications in patients. Prof. Banin heads the Center for Retinal and Macular Degenerations at Hadassah and is a leader in the application of cell-and gene-based therapies in this group of blinding diseases.
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Three New Companies Founded in 2021
Based on Hadassah Technologies
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Hadasit’s extensive efforts to commercialize our investigators’ ideas led to the establishment in 2021 of three new start-up companies based on patents invented and developed at Hadassah.
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Immunyx is a drug development company focused on modulating neutrophil function to treat disease. Numerous high burden illnesses such as COPD, cancer, and arthritis involve deregulated neutrophils which exacerbate, and sometimes cause, the underlying pathology. Using its platform technology to specifically manipulate neutrophils using a targeted nanoparticle, Immunyx will bring new therapies to several diseases where neutrophil treatment could advance a cure. Currently there are no FDA approved drugs targeting neutrophil activity in disease, providing Immunyx the potential to provide first in class therapies for a variety of diseases. Immunyx was established in collaboration with VLX incubator, based on the development of Prof. Zvi Friedlander, Director of the Department of Internal Medicine and Corona at Hadassah Ein Kerem, Prof. Zvika Granot and Dr. Seth Salpeter from the Hebrew University.
Click to website here
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GHF – Golden Heart Flower Ltd. GHF – Golden Heart Flower Ltd. was established to support people with glycogen storage diseases with limited treatment options. The company is developing a portfolio of oral medicines that target underlying disease pathogenesis. Based on the lead compound’s mechanism of action, larger commercial opportunities are being pursued. GHF was established by an entrepreneur who wanted to find a cure for his mother’s disease, and acquired the license from Or Kakhlon’s Laboratory of Experimental Neurology at Hadassah, in collaboration with Prof. Miguel Weil from Tel-Aviv University. Prof. Alexander Lossos opened the first clinical site at Hadassah Hospital.
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EXOSOMM – Inspired by the virtues of breast milk and its unique health properties, EXOSOMM is developing an exciting step towards care and quality of life for patients suffering from inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). The company is backed by Prof. Shimon Reif, Head of the Department of Pediatrics at Hadassah, Dr. Regina Golan-Gerstl, Director of the Hadassah Pediatric Laboratory, and Dr.Yaffa Elbaum-Shiff, Deputy Director of the Department of Nutrition at Tel Aviv Medical Center, and led by CEO Netta Granot. Exosomm harnesses the natural properties of milk-derived nano-molecules found naturally in mammalian milk by creating a portfolio of exosomes-based nutritional solutions. The company was established in partnership with the Galil-Ofek incubator.
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Hadasit Conference - "Exploring the Challenges of Preclinical Studies: Academic / Clinical Industry Collaboration"
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Hosted this past December by Hadasit and the Jerusalem Development Authority, the Hadasit conference was one of the highlights of 2021. Representatives from the commercial, academic, and clinical sectors gathered at the Hadassah Ein Kerem campus to discuss the challenges met by medical companies and researchers during their early R&D process.
Our distinguished speakers shared real-life case studies, current trends in preclinical studies, and practical tips for early-stage projects in the pharmaceutical and med-tech fields. We express our gratitude to all of the attendees, presenters, and guests for such an educational and insightful conference.
Click here to see videos and photos.
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Industry Collaboration Success Stories
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PathKeeper is an excellent example of the collaboration between Hadassah Hospital and a medtech company from the very early stages of ideation up through technology validation in a real-world setting.
Click to website here
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Dr. Josh Schroeder, MD, Director of Spinal Deformities Surgery at Hadassah Medical Center, and Erez Lampert, CEO and founder of the company, joined forces in 2018 to develop the world’s first and only spinal navigation system that continuously tracks the anatomy in real-time. Their combined knowledge led to development of the system which incorporates a proprietary 3D camera that tracks each vertebra and the surgeon’s tools throughout the procedure. This eliminates the need for x-ray and ensures high-accuracy navigation during the surgery. PathKeeper graduated from the first cohort of the “Hadassah Accelerator powered by IBM Alpha Zone” program and continued to grow and develop. Currently, PathKeeper’s navigation system is being validated in the real-time setting of spinal procedures at Hadassah Har Hazofim operating rooms. This marks a significant milestone on the path to regulatory approval and further commercialization of the technology.
Click here to watch the video.
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Alpha Tau Medical
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Alpha Tau Medical focuses on research, development and commercialization of Alpha DaRT (Diffusing Alpha-emitters Radiation Therapy) for the treatment of solid cancer.
Click to website here
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Alpha Tau recently entered into a sponsored research agreement with Hadasit, working with Dr. Harold Jacob, Head of the Hadassah Gastroenterology Institute, as the Principal Investigator. This multi-staged research collaboration includes both pre-clinical research and development and clinical trial stages of the company’s device for the treatment of solid tumors in each of the gastrointestinal tract and the pancreas.
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www.hadasit.org.il
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