Weekly Quick Hits (Research Triangle Park) – Week of October 16, 2023

A Research Triangle Park firm is taking charge in the fight against fentanyl addiction. Cessation Therapeutics received a $14.8 million grant to support the development of its anti-fentanyl monoclonal antibody, CSX-1004. G1 Therapeutics’ Cosela won additional support as a myeloid supportive agent in the treatment of small-cell lung cancer. New research coming from Duke University could reshape the treatment landscape for multiple sclerosis. 

By Alex Keown | October 20, 2023

Quick Hits is BioBuzz’s weekly round up of all the life science news you don’t want to miss, in your region of interest. Don’t miss a beat; SUBSCRIBE to our weekly Quick Hits newsletter via LinkedIn (BioHealth Capital Region, Greater Philadelphia, Research Triangle Park) or get it delivered to your inbox every week.

Funding, Awards and Collaborations 

Cessation Therapeutics Wins $14.8 Million from the National Institute of Drug Abuse

Chapel Hill-based Cessation Therapeutics, Inc. was awarded an additional $14.8 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse to support the development of a subcutaneous formulation of its anti-fentanyl mAb, CSX-1004 SQ. CSX-1004 is a human IgG1 monoclonal antibody specific for fentanyl and fentanyl analogs and works by sequestering fentanyl molecules as they enter the bloodstream, effectively neutralizing them in the blood before they reach the brain and preventing them from exerting their harmful effects. Through different delivery methods, the platform can be optimized to potentially protect against overdose, reverse overdose, and treat fentanyl-related opioid use disorder.

Non-Profit RTI Efforts Help Mitigate Neglected Tropical Disease in Lao PDR

RTI International, a nonprofit research institute and leading international development organization, joins the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, the World Health Organization, and the U.S. Agency for International Development in celebrating Lao PDR’s achievement of eliminating lymphatic filariasis as a public health problem.  Also known as elephantiasis, lymphatic filariasis is a neglected tropical disease that can cause swollen extremities in a person and lead to severe disfigurement and disability, as well as social and economic discrimination against those affected. RTI supported this milestone through its leadership of USAID’s Act to End NTDs | East program, which has advanced the sustainable control and elimination of NTDs in 13 countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Black Women in Clinical Research Inaugural Conference Held at NCBiotech

The Black Women In Clinical Research Conference will be held on October 20-22 at The North Carolina Biotechnology Center (NCBiotech). The conference will bring together a list of impressive experts in the industry, who will share their experience and expertise. Attendees at the event, held Oct. 20 and 21, will discover valuable tools for advancing their careers, and some companies will conduct interviews. More information is here. 

RTP Agtech Startup Cuts 123 Workers, WARN Notice Shows

Agtech startup AgBiome is laying off 123 workers, according to a layoff notice filed with the state of North Carolina, WRALTechwire reports. Layoffs are expected to be conducted by Dec. 15. 

CDMO Completes Facility Expansion

Cambrex, a global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), celebrated the completion of its $38 million capacity expansion at its small molecule active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing facility in High Point. The expansion doubles the facility’s manufacturing capacity, with new state-of-the-art analytical and chemical development laboratories, two new clinical manufacturing suites, and a small-scale commercial manufacturing operation with three work centers and 2,000 Liter reactors. The expansion will allow for the addition of 70 new positions at the company. 

Activist Investor Targets Labcorp Spinout Fortrea

Activist investor Starboard Value has taken more than a 5% stake in Fortrea and wants to implement changes that it believes will improve financial performance. During an investor summit presentation, Starboard said the CRO industry is poised for long-term growth and that within this industry Fortrea is an attractive investment opportunity, according to reports. The Wall Street Journal reported that Starboard is planning to push for changes at Fortrea that could boost margins, among other measures aimed at share-price appreciation.

UNC Awarded $5 million to Assess Intervention for Acute Stress Reactions

The $5-million initiative, led by the UNC School of Medicine and funded through the U.S. Department of Defense, will test the efficacy of an intervention developed at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research originally designed to help service members who experience acute stress reactions during military operations. Co-developed by researchers at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR), iCOVER is a brief peer-based intervention designed to help service members overcome an ASR and continue performing their operational duties. 

BioCryst to Host R&D Day on November 3

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals will host an R&D Day at 1 p.m. Nov. 3. The company plans to describe its drug discovery process and introduce additional therapies from its pipeline.

UNCC Expands Life Science Research Opportunities

UNC Charlotte science facility encourages undergraduate and graduate students to participate in life science research. The university has a continued commitment to educate students in the biological sciences, chemistry and physics. In the school’s new Science Building, completed in the summer of 2021, students are taught in active learning classrooms and can conduct research in state-of-the-art teaching labs, emphasizing collaboration and communication.

In the Clinic

Alcami Supports Phase II/III Trial Supply of the Nectero EAST System

CDMO Alcami Corporation welcomed the announcement by Nectero Medical that they received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration of their IND application to initiate Phase II/III trial of the Nectero Endovascular Aneurysm Stabilization Treatment (EAST) System for the treatment of small- to-mid-sized abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). The Nectero EAST System is comprised of a dual-balloon delivery catheter and stabilizer mixture containing pentagalloyl glucose. 

G1 Therapeutics to Present at the 2023 ASCO Quality Care Symposium

G1 Therapeutics will present multiple abstracts as poster presentations at the upcoming 2023 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Quality Care Symposium in Boston. Presentations include “Burden of Myelosuppression in Extensive-Stage Small-Cell Lung Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy: Retrospective Analysis of Real-World Data from Tennessee Oncology,” “Assessment Of Hospitalizations and Cytopenia Events Among Patients with Extensive Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer (ES-SCLC) Receiving Chemotherapy with Trilaciclib,” and “Patient Characteristics Associated with Myelosuppression Among Patients with Extensive-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer Treated with Chemotherapy in The Community Oncology Setting.”

New Products

G1 Therapeutics’ Cosela Recommended in Updated Small Cell Lung Cancer Guidelines

G1 Therapeutics announced that Cosela (trilaciclib) has been recommended as a myeloid supportive agent in the updated American Society of Clinical Oncology small cell lung cancer guidelines for patients with untreated or previously treated extensive-stage small cell lung cancer who are undergoing treatment with chemotherapy or chemoimmunotherapy. Cosela is indicated to decrease the incidence of chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression in adult patients when administered prior to a platinum/etoposide-containing regimen or topotecan-containing regimen for ES-SCLC. Cosela was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in February, 2021.  

Research Roundup

Humacyte Publishes Preclinical HAV Results in Juvenile Primate Model-Outcomes

Humacyte published a preclinical study showing the potential for its investigational small-diameter Human Acellular Vessel to treat Tetralogy of Fallot, a heart condition that affects one in every 2,000 babies born each year. The publication in the open-access Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery (JTCVS Open) describes the implantation of 3.5 mm diameter HAVs into a juvenile large-animal model of pediatric heart disease. The 3.5 mm HAVs remained patent for up to six months, and evidence of HAV repopulation by host cells was observed. This study also demonstrates the successful extension of Humacyte’s manufacturing platform. Humacyte’s 3.5 mm HAV is also currently being tested in large-animal models of adult coronary artery bypass grafting to assess the potential of the Humacyte platform to make vessels treating a range of heart conditions, spanning from pediatric to adult.

Duke: Surprise Discovery Reveals Key Factor in Multiple Sclerosis

Researchers at Duke University School of Medicine studying multiple sclerosis made an unexpected discovery that could reshape the understanding of MS treatments, the university announced. Scientists identified a protein that “boosts the aggressive migration of immune cells into the central nervous system which leads to MS.” The intrusion of a specific type of immune cell called Th17 is particularly harmful to the brain and spinal cord. But after Duke scientists blocked the protein integrin α3, which slowed Th17 cells from reaching and damaging the central nervous system, the team witnessed major improvement in mice, according to a study published in Science Immunology.  

Duke: Single Vaccine Protects Against Three Deadly Strains of Coronavirus

A vaccine designed to protect against three different deadly coronaviruses shows success in mouse studies, demonstrating the viability of a pan-coronavirus vaccine developed by researchers at the Duke Human Vaccine Institute. Publishing in the journal Cell Reports, the single nanoparticle vaccine included components of a previous vaccine that was shown to protect mice and primates against multiple variants of SARS-CoV-2. In this study, the vaccine protected mice from SARS-CoV-1, another form of SARS coronavirus that can infect humans, and a MERS coronavirus that has led to periodic, deadly outbreaks around the world, according to Duke University.

N.C. State Researchers Mimic a Bird’s Sticky Spit to Create Cellulose Gels

Using a small bird’s nest-making process as a model, researchers from North Carolina State University developed a nontoxic process for making cellulose gels. The freeze-thaw process is simple, cost-effective, and can create cellulose gels that are useful in a number of applications, including tunable gels for timed drug delivery, the university reported. Cellulose is a material used to make hydrogels, which are used in applications ranging from contact lenses to wound care and drug delivery. Creating hydrogels from cellulose is tricky, and sometimes the processes used to create them are toxic. The process also works with bamboo and potentially other lignin-containing plant fibers, the researchers said. 

Robotic Prosthetic Ankles Improve ‘Natural’ Movement, Stability, NCSU, UNC Say

Robotic prosthetic ankles controlled by nerve impulses allow amputees to move more “naturally,” which improves stability, according to a new study from North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The new study builds on previous work that demonstrated that neural control of a powered prosthetic ankle can restore a range of abilities, including standing on challenging surfaces and squatting, NC State reported. 

Greener Neighborhoods Offer Protection at the Cellular Level

A new study conducted by researchers at N.C. State University finds that greenspace in a neighborhood’s yards, parks and public spaces has a positive impact on telomeres, a key genetic marker associated with exposure to stress. The study also finds that the positive impact of greenspace isn’t enough to compensate for other environmental challenges, such as air pollution. Telomeres are sections of repetitive DNA that serve to protect the ends of the chromosomes from damage. Read more about the study here.

People on the Move

Yosemite’s Beverly Lu joins Ten63’s Board of Directors

Durham-based Ten63 Therapeutics announced its partnership with the newly unveiled cancer-focused venture fund, Yosemite, which co-led Ten63’s oversubscribed Series A financing alongside Hatteras Venture Partners. In connection with the partnership, Yosemite’s Beverly Lu joined the company’s board of directors.

NC Biotech’s Piedmont Triad Office Adds 5 Thought Leaders to Advisory Committee

The North Carolina Biotechnology Center’s Piedmont Triad Office is welcoming five new thought leaders to its regional advisory committee. The new advisory committee members include Ken Russell, Gordon Vail, Eric Muth, Summer McGee and Serena Guzman. These new members are from unique backgrounds and experiences, academic expertise and industry perspectives which will guide efforts to grow the region’s life sciences assets. Geoff Foster is the new Vice Chair of the committee. Details about each of the new members can be found here.