Boost for Biotech cluster at Milton Park

Following numerous exciting announcements from some of our biotechnology occupiers, we give you a sneak peek into just some of the industry-leading innovation that’s occurred at Milton Park over the last month…

aVaxziPen to present data at World Vaccine Congress

Milton Park-based biotech company, aVaxziPen, (formally Enesi Pharma) is to present its in vivo data entitled ‘Needle-free, injectable solid dose vaccine delivery generates equivalent immune response with different antigens and animal models’ at the World Vaccine Congress in Washington, USA.

Dr Keith Howard, CSo at aVaxziPen, said: “With our needle-free technology we’re on a mission to transform vaccine delivery for the benefit of communities around the world.  Our novel solid-dose formulation technology coupled with our ‘click-and-deliver’ pen device has the potential to improve the accessibility and cost-effectiveness of every-day vaccines.

More information here.

Eden Research gains US state approvals

Sustainable biotech and agri-tech company, Eden Research, which specialises in plastic-free biopesticide and encapsulation technology, has gained regulatory approvals in 17 US states for its Mevalone biofungicide product. Its second commercial product, Cedroz, has also been approved in eight US states for crop protection, defending fruits and vegetables against destructive parasitic nematodes.

Sean Smith, CEO at Eden Research, said: “These state authorisations mark further milestones on this journey and directly expand our addressable market in the US. Further efforts are underway to continually grow our footprint across the US with a primary focus on obtaining regulatory clearance in California and several additional states.”

Find out more here.

Grey Wolf Therapeutics commences anti-tumour clinical trial

Biotech company, Grey Wolf Therapeutics, has begun its EMITT-1 clinical trial, evaluating the safety, tolerability, preliminary efficacy and pharmacokinetics of its GRWD5769 inhibitor. This marks a significant step in the company’s mission to generate entirely novel immune responses against cancerous tumours.

Peter Joyce PhD, CEO at Grey Wolf Therapeutics, said: “We are proud to announce our advancement of GRWD5769 into the clinic as this reflects a critical first step in our evaluation of this first-in-class ERAP1 inhibitor. We have strategically designed this initial clinical study with an adaptive, modular framework to assist in the generation of the most informative data set possible.”

More information here.

Pathios Therapeutics unveils anti-tumour inhibitor at AACR 2023

Milton Park biotech company, Pathios Therapeutics – focused on the development of first-in-class therapies for cancer – presented its latest preclinical data from its GPR65 discovery program at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2023.

The presentation included the public unveiling of PTT-4256 – an internally discovered, oral, highly potent and selective small molecule inhibitor of GPR65 that has demonstrated excellent drug-like properties and impressive monotherapy anti-tumor activity in preclinical models.

Find out more here.

Thermo Fisher Scientific expansion to boost commercial manufacturing

Thermo Fisher Scientific, the world leader in serving science, is adding early development work for oral solid dose therapies to its Bourgoin, France site, enabling that location to address customers’ workflow from early drug development through commercial manufacturing and underscoring the company’s commitment to helping clients get medicines to patients sooner.

Leon Wyszkowski, president of pharma services commercial operations at Themo Fisher Scientific: “In the last decade, Thermo Fisher has led and advanced the field of oral solid dose development, with 126 new drug approvals supported.

“Expanding our capabilities in France is a further investment in our global oral solid network that will allow us to further forge partnerships with customers who depend on our capabilities for the development and commercial production of lifesaving drugs for their patients.”

More information here.

ThirtyFiveBio to present data at AACR 2023

Biotech company, ThirtyFiveBio, which was created in 2021 by M:M Bio (in collaboration with Canaan Partners) and specialises in the development of first-in-class small molecule inhibitors to treat gastrointestinal (GI) diseases, will present its first data at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2023.

James Westcott PhD, CEO at ThirtyFiveBio, said: “Our evolving understanding of GPR35 biology and its relevance to GI diseases has guided our unique focus on target antagonism and positioned the company with the unique opportunity to discover and advance multiple families of first-in-class small molecule inhibitors. We’re excited to unveil the first data from our GPR35 inhibition program, which will spotlight the extensive work our scientists and bioinformaticians have undertaken”.

Find out more here.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals completes US FDA submission

Milton Park-based Vertex Pharmaceuticals, along with CRISPR Therapeutics, have completed their submission of rolling Biologics License Applications to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the exa-cel treatment of sickle cell disease and transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia.

Carmen Bozic, Managing Director, Executive Vice President, Global Medicines Development and Medical Affairs, and Chief Medical Officer at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, said: “The completion of our exa-cel global regulatory filings is a historic milestone. We want to thank the clinical trial participants and the sickle cell and beta thalassemia communities, as well as the physicians, nurses, coordinators, caregivers and friends who support them.”

More information here.

In collaboration with Moderna, Vertex is also in the planning stages of clinical trials for a cystic fibrosis inhaled mRNA therapy.

To find out more about our occupiers and their work, please visit: www.miltonpark.com/whos-here/