Pharmaceutical Technology Editors

PhoreMost, a UK-based biopharmaceutical company, has formed separate partnerships with Polaris Quantum Biotech (POLARISqb), a US-based quantum computing drug design company, and NeoCura Bio-Medical Technology (NeoCura), an RNA-based drug research and development company headquartered in China, to study and discover new oncology therapies.

The POLARISqb Tachyon quantum computing platform will be used to scan billions of molecules from a large chemical space to find novel molecules that can be developed into drugs, based on information obtained from PhoreMost’s SITESEEKER phenotypic screening platform, a novel target-identification platform, according to PhoreMost in a Jan. 5, 2022, company press release.

SITESEEKER rapidly identifies unexpected or “cryptic” druggable sites across an entire genome, and PhoreMost, in collaboration with POLARISqb, will use the platform to identify oncology targets previously considered undruggable. This identification will be conducted using the inherent shape diversity and disease functionality of the PROTEINi (based on protein interference) protein-fragment libraries in live cells.

POLARISqb has built a drug discovery platform using Tachyon, a quantum computer that has the potential to significantly shorten the drug discovery process, according to the press release. With the use of quantum computers, POLARISqb can perform combinatorial optimizations in minutes that would take conventional supercomputers months or years to complete. The use of quantum computers leads to reduced drug development timelines and more efficient research, PhoreMost stated in the press release.

“This partnership represents the ultimate ambition for any collaboration between biology and technology, where the full diversity of newly identified druggable disease targets generated by biological PROTEINi shape-libraries can now be married to the most logical and rapid method of finding small-molecule drugs to them. This best-in-class intersection of biotech and AI [artificial intelligence] is going to be an exciting and transformative milestone for the entire pharmaceutical industry,” said Chris Torrance, CEO, PhoreMost, in the press release.

Under the NeoCura collaboration, PhoreMost will use its SITESEEKER platform together with NeoCura’s full-process RNA drug design platform to investigate the cellular delivery and efficacy of encoded targeted peptides. This research aims to inform and advance the research and development of innovative anti-cancer therapies.

“It is believed that with the … RNA drug research and development capability of NeoCura and … SITESEEKER technology of PhoreMost, more therapeutic potential will be released in the field of research and development of RNA drugs, and the translational process of anti-cancer drugs will be greatly accelerated. Meanwhile, NeoCura also hopes to join hands with more industry leaders in the vigorous development of biomedicine in China,” said Wang Yi, founder and CEO of NeoCura, in a Jan. 11, 2022, press release.

“NeoCura’s platform complements PhoreMost’s capabilities to unmask cryptic druggable sites across the entire human proteome. RNA delivery of novel therapeutics represents an exciting opportunity for PhoreMost as we aim to significantly increase the diversity and affordability of novel therapeutics for cancer and other unmet diseases,” said Torrance in the press release.

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PhoreMost has entered into separate collaboration agreements with Polaris Quantum Biotech and NeoCura Bio-Medical Technology to discover and develop novel cancer therapeutics.

PhoreMost Collaborates with Polaris and NeoCura on Cancer Therapeutics

BenchSci, a specialist in machine learning applications for novel medicine development, has completed a Series C financing round, raising C$63 million (US $50 million), it was announced in a Jan. 24, 2022 press release.

The funding round was led by Inovia Capital and TCV, along with participation from existing investors. With this latest funding, the total amount of investments for BenchSci has reached C$123 million (US $97 million), which the company will use to advance the expansion of its transformative artificial intelligence (AI) powered software platform.

“This funding demonstrates trust in our ability to build and deliver a next-generation AI solution that helps global pharmaceutical companies develop novel medicines faster,” said Liran Belenzon, CEO, BenchSci, in the press release. “We're using breakthrough machine learning technology to shape the future of how life science companies conduct research, from identifying targets, to planning experiments, to determining clinical trial risks. The confidence demonstrated by global pharmaceutical companies who are early adopters of our new solutions was enough to convince Inovia Capital to fund another round and prompt TCV to back our meteoric hypergrowth.”

“We strongly believe that the preclinical R&D market remains largely untapped, and that BenchSci can become a category-defining leader to bring life-saving drugs to market faster,” added Dennis Kavelman, partner at Inovia, in the press release. “Doubling down on a company that we believe in is part of our commitment to being a long-term partner to build global sustainable tech companies.”

“The preclinical research market is in dire need of software to drive efficiencies in the discovery through development process,” said Matt Brennan, general partner at TCV, in the press release. “BenchSci is well-positioned to be the category-defining technology platform for the industry, and we look forward to working with [the] team to transform this industry.”

BenchSci, a specialist in machine learning applications for novel medicine development, has completed a Series C financing round.

BenchSci Raises $63 Million in Series C Financing Round

Scottish biotech engineering company, uFraction8, has successfully secured more than £2.5 million ($3.3 million) in new investment, which it will use to expand its facilities, grow its team, scale its technology, and deploy large-scale tests with prospective customers.

According to a Jan. 24, 2022 press release, the company, which was founded in 2017, has been building its global profile, progressing from lab-scale prototype to a mini-industrial demonstrator used for customer trials.The company opened a fully owned subsidiary in Poznan, Poland in 2019, which was the recipient of a grant from the National Centre for Research and Development in Poland in 2021. Following this grant, the Polish subsidiary opened new facilities and employed a team of designers and engineers to advance uFraction8’s technology development.

“The bio-manufacturing revolution still requires enabling technologies to deliver its full potential to improve downstream processing optimization in areas like precision fermentation, cell-based approaches, or micro-algae platforms,” said Abel Rossignol, investment director at Thia Ventures (a leading investor in the latest financing round), in the press release. “We believe uFraction8’s technology has the potential to deliver these much-needed improvements at a viable scale.”

“We are excited about this successful investment round and the new partners supporting our mission to produce the best-ever microscale liquid-solid separation systems,” added Brian Miller, co-founder of uFraction8, in the press release.

“This significant investment, along with the immense and highly successful bio-manufacturing sector track record of our new partners, will enable uFraction8 to grow faster than ever before. Our entire team is excited and ready for the hard work ahead in taking the business to the next level and beyond,” said Monika Tomecka, uFraction8 co-founder, in the press release. “We remain open to further collaboration opportunities that will support our aim of promoting our cutting-edge technology across global markets.”

Scottish biotech engineering company, uFraction8, has successfully secured more than £2.5 million ($3.3 million) in new investment.

Scottish Biotech Secures Millions in Commercialization Investment Funds

The United Kingdom’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has updated its Technology Appraisal Guidance (TAG) TA599 for AstraZeneca’s Lokelma (sodium zirconium cyclosilicate [SZC]), it was announced in a Jan. 24, 2022 press release.

With this updated guidance, the treatment’s use is now expanded to allow the treatment of adults with persistent hyperkalemia in a primary care setting (i.e., continuity of care outside of the hospital setting). As a result of this update, patients will be able to access repeat prescriptions from their primary care professional, following specialist initiation, and will ultimately reduce the need for hospital visits.

“This update will help healthcare professionals be able to adapt and match the 21st century way patients are managed across the care pathway,” said Andrew Frankel, consultant renal nephrologist, Imperial College Healthcare National Health Service (NHS) Trust, in the press release. “Many patients are managed in primary care, with secondary care giving advice and, in some cases, not seeing them for long periods of time. This change will allow people who are living with heart failure and chronic kidney disease, to more readily access treatments that can help manage persistent hyperkalemia.”

“This guidance update is an important step-change in the treatment journey for people with persistent hyperkalemia,” added Tom Keith-Roach, president, AstraZeneca UK, in the press release. “This [change] opens up care in the community and essential medicines can now be optimized to improve patient outcomes in heart failure and chronic kidney disease for the long term. This is a great example of how we are committed to work with NICE and the NHS to deliver scalable solutions that can make a difference for patients and our health system at the population level.”

NICE has updated its Technology Appraisal Guidance TA599 for AstraZeneca’s Lokelma. 

NICE Updates Guidance for Lokelma as Treatment for Adults with Hyperkalemia

Catalent announced on Jan. 25, 2022 that it has completed its $10 million expansion of its Malvern, Pennsylvania, USA, and Dartford, UK, facilities to provide advanced containment capabilities for the micronization of highly potent drug compounds.

The newly expanded large-scale isolator units at both sites will enable the company to perform clinical to commercial-scale jet milling operations under enhanced containment conditions, with low (0.05 micrograms per cubic meter) occupational exposure limit (OEL) values. Additionally, increased manufacturing safety can be achieved by installing micronizers that are purged with nitrogen, thus eliminating the risk of dust explosion from compounds that have low minimum ignition values.

Furthermore, the company reports that through utilization of a continuous milling operation, it is possible to achieve greater efficiency by avoiding the need for stoppages and changing out of materials. Manual operator intervention is further reduced by the clean-in-place automated washing systems, which also accommodate flexible sampling schemes without the need for external equipment.

“Micronization is a well-established technology to help improve the solubility of oral drugs, and there continues to be a growing need for safe manufacturing and containment technologies required for the development of highly potent APIs,” said James Walter, vice-president Operations, Oral and Specialty Delivery at Catalent, in the press release. “These expansions provide the increased capacity needed to meet current and future demand for high potent, high value micronization.”

Catalent has expanded its Malvern, Pennsylvania, USA, and Dartford, UK, facilities to provide advanced containment capabilities for the micronization of highly potent drug compounds.



Catalent Expands its High Potency Micronization Capabilities in both US and UK

A collaboration and licensing agreement has been entered into by Professors Daniel Longley, Tim Harrison, and colleagues, from the Queen’s University Belfast, and biopharmaceutical company, Ipsen, for the research, development, manufacture, and commercialization of FLIP inhibitors.

The agreement will provide an exclusive license to progress the FLIP inhibitor project, which has been supported by Domainex from its inception. Domainex performed a LeadBuilder virtual screen at the beginning of the project that generated the initial hit matter. Afterwards, the company has been involved with helping the Queen’s University Belfast team with integrated medicinal chemistry services and further advance the research into the role of FLIP inhibitors in cancer. Furthermore, Domainex provided support to the university for its Wellcome Trust Seeding Drug Discovery Award.

“The Domainex drug discovery team is proud to have delivered a series of FLIP inhibitors for the Queen’s team, and we hope that these lead to first-in-class drugs that will improve the lives of patients with cancer,” said Ray Boffey, executive director of Medicines Research at Domainex, in a Jan. 26, 2022 press release.

“We are very pleased that our successful collaboration with Queen’s and the Wellcome Trust has generated a set of FLIP inhibitors to warrant further investigation by Ipsen,” added Tom Mander, CEO of Domainex, in the press release. “It is further testament of the power of our integrated drug discovery engine to deliver potential breakthrough new medicines to treat debilitating diseases and demonstrates the value that our team brings to our partners.”

“It has been an absolute pleasure working with Dr. Boffey and the Domainex team on this project,” commented Longley, deputy director of the Patrick G. Johnston Centre for Cancer Research at Queen’s University Belfast, in the press release. “Without their first-class medicinal chemistry expertise and the use of their Leadbuilder virtual screening platform at the outset of the program, we would not have been able to secure the support of The Wellcome Trust and advance the programme to the stage it has now reached.”

A collaboration and licensing agreement has been entered into by the Queen’s University Belfast and Ipsen.