【滨会动态】武汉滨会生物开启国际合作大门

滨会生物创始人、核心技术专家刘滨磊博士表示：滨会生物长期从事肿瘤免疫治疗药物溶瘤病毒的研发，公司核心产品重组溶瘤II型单纯疱疹病毒（OH2）注射剂是肿瘤免疫与肿瘤基因治疗I类生物新药，获得国家重大新药创制专项支持，正在进行II期临床试验，在多种实体瘤患者治疗中显现出良好的药效，有望成为best-in-class产品。公司建立的溶瘤病毒研发平台已经开发了表达单个或多个外源治疗基因溶瘤病毒系列产品。TheraPten的加入，将给溶瘤病毒领域的研发工作注入新的活力，同时也是推动溶瘤病毒药物上市的新动力。

滨会生物与TheraPten生物科技公司的此次合作是一项长期的战略合作，项目开发成功，滨会生物将获得数亿元开发收益。

Recently, Wuhan Binhui Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Binhui) and TheraPten Biosciences Inc (TheraPten) of Canada have officially signed a cooperation agreement to develop candidate oncolytic HSV2 virus drugs expressing cell permeable PTEN tumor suppressors including PTEN-L.

TheraPten, a Canadian bioscience company intends to put cell-permeable tumor suppressors,  back into cancer patients who have lost it. PTEN-L is a newly discovered tumor suppressor protein that plays a key role in regulating host tumor immunity. A report published in Nature Communications on November 27, 2018 showed that macrophages were activated after the expression of PTEN-L protein in the brain of glioblastoma mice. PTEN-L also activates CD8 (+) T cells and natural killer cells. PTEN-L can also reduce the expression of PD-L1 on the cell surface. Elimination of mouse brain tumors (glioblastomas) occurred due to the expression of PTEN-L tumor suppressor protein by the oncolytic virus in the tumor. At least 30% of all cancer patients worldwide, regardless of cancer stage or indication, have lost PTEN protein completely. PTEN loss is strongly correlated with (i.e., is necessary and sufficient for) progression of cancer. Indeed, loss of PTEN reduces response to over 30 FDA-approved drugs, including immuno-oncology (checkpoint) antibodies. Hence, reintroduction of cell-permeable PTEN tumor suppressor proteins in cancer patients directly (as purified proteins) or via Binhui’s oHSV2 expression platform is expected to have profound impact in cancer care. TheraPten has an exclusive license from Columbia University to use PTEN-L for the treatment of cancer in major markets worldwide (USA, EU, Japan, China). In addition, TheraPten has developed and patented world-wide a series of second generation cell-permeable PTEN tumor suppressors. TheraPten collaborates with the National Research Council of Canada, select global contract research institutions, and exclusively with Binhui regarding the oHSV2-PTEN platform.

Dr. Nassos Alevizopoulos, co-founder, CEO and Chairman of TheraPten, appreciates the achievements and contributions made by Binhui in the field of oncolytic virus. He is very looking forward to the cooperation with Binhui. He believes that the exclusive Binhui-TheraPten collaboration will promote the development, registration and commercialization of new oncolytic virus drugs in the global market.

Dr. Binlei Liu, founder and core technical expert of Binhui, believes that: Binhui has long been engaged in the research and development of oncolytic virus. The core product of the company, a recombinant oncolytic herpes simplex virus II (OH2), is a class I biological new drug for tumor immune/gene therapy. The OH2 project has obtained special support from the National Major New Drug Creation Project Grant. OH2 is in phase II clinical trial, showing good efficacy in the treatment of various solid tumors, and is expected to become the best in class product. The oncolytic virus R & D platform established by the Binhui has developed a series of oncolytic virus products expressing single or multiple exogenous therapeutic genes. TheraPten will inject new vitality into the research and development of oncolytic viruses, and will also be a new impetus to promote the marketing of oncolytic virus drugs.

The cooperation between Binhui and TheraPten is a long-term strategic cooperation. If the project is successfully developed, Binhui will obtain hundreds of millions of yuan of development income.

Further information on TheraPten: www.therapten.com