Celdara Medical, LLC today announced that the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health has awarded a two-year, $2 million Phase II Small Business Innovation Research grant to fund the company’s development of a B cell focused immunotherapy to treat melanoma and other cancers. The biologic, CM-JG01, targets the previously untapped potential of B cells to induce a potent tumoricidal T-cell response. This project will be developed in partnership with Dr. Jacques Galipeau at the University of Wisconsin.
Dr. Jake Reder, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Celdara Medical, remarked, “We are extremely thankful to the NCI for their support. We now have an important opportunity to advance the development of this innovative therapy, which has demonstrated its ability to treat cancer in preclinical models. Successful execution will get us to the clinic and enable us to begin helping patients.” The grant was awarded, in part, based on results of preclinical testing at Emory University, which demonstrated that therapeutic administration of CM-JG01 halted tumor progression in several preclinical models of disease.
Dr. Jacques Galipeau, MD FRCP(C), Don and Marilyn Anderson Professor in Oncology, Assistant Dean for Therapeutics Discovery and Development, and Director of the Program for Advanced Cell Therapy, at the University of Wisconsin in Madison , conducted the original research yielding this therapy, and remains engaged in the preclinical development efforts. Dr. Galipeau noted, “Our chimeric cytokines have remarkable and novel immnuno-modulatory properties that could not have been predicted based on the individual domains. Our initial results in melanoma models have demonstrated clear efficacy, and we’re eager to advance this promising innovation into the clinic.”
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. Melanoma is responsible for the vast majority of skin cancer deaths with an estimated 87,110 new cases in 2017 and over 9,000 deaths each year. The average melanoma patient loses 20.4 years of potential life, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Research reported in this press release is supported by the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health under award number R44 CA217365-01. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
About Celdara Medical, LLC
Celdara Medical gives hope and health to patients by transforming academic innovations into medicines with the potential to cure the world’s most challenging diseases. Celdara Medical is a recognized leader with a rich stable of discoveries, developed in concert with premiere research institutions in the US, EU, and beyond. We secure lasting partnerships with inventors and their institutions, and provide the developmental, financial, and business acumen to bridge the gaps between discovery and clinical impact. With robust funding options, operations in greater Boston, NYC, and Washington, DC, growing affiliates in Seattle and Indianapolis, a wealth of opportunities in our pipeline, and partnerships with industry leaders worldwide, Celdara Medical navigates the path from science to medicine, accelerating innovation to improve human health.