Orgenesis has partnered with Hemogenyx Pharmaceuticals to drive the development and commercialization of Hemogenyx’s human postnatal hemogenic endothelial cell (Hu-PHEC) technology for the treatment of blood cancers.
Hu-PHEC is a cell replacement technology designed to generate hematopoietic stem cells — those that give rise to all types of blood cells — for transplant into patients with different types of blood cancers.
The approach has significant advantages over other existing technologies. They are easily collected from several tissues, including from a donor’s umbilical cord or placenta, or from biopsies of a patient’s liver. Additionally, they do not require “heavy” manipulation before use, nor do they accumulate blood cancer-related mutations.
Moreover, these cells can be easily grown and genetically modified when cultured in a lab dish, making them a strong candidate for curative gene therapy applications.
“We are excited to expand our collaboration with Hemogenyx, as this Hu-PHEC technology addresses a sizable and underserved market. Sadly, for patients suffering from diseases such as leukemia and lymphoma, as well as severe autoimmune diseases, a bone marrow transplant is often necessary. However, this procedure also carries risks of toxicity and death,” Vered Caplan, CEO of Orgenesis, said in a press release.
“Through this novel platform, our goal is to develop cancer-free hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) for use in transplants to treat blood cancers and other conditions with superior results. We look forward to building upon the expertise we developed the past few years, including transdifferentiation [cell reprogramming] and manufacturing of liver cells, as we expand into development and industrialization of additional products,” Caplan added.
The collaboration between the two companies was announced by Orgenesis, a manufacturer, service provider, and developer of advanced cell therapies.
Under the terms of the agreement, Orgenesis will be responsible for manufacturing and supplying all Hu-PHEC products during and after completion of clinical trials. In addition, the company will also receive worldwide rights to commercialize all Hu-PHEC products and assumes the role of global distributor of Hemogenyx’s Hu-PHEC-related products.
In exchange, Orgenesis will provide $1 million to Hemogenyx to continue the development of the Hu-PHECs and will also pay a 12 percent royalty on the total net revenues obtained from selling or licensing any of Hemogenyx’s Hu-PHEC related products.
“As a company committed to the discovery and development of novel therapeutic products for patients suffering from blood and severe autoimmune diseases, we are pleased to partner with Orgenesis, a premier service provider in the regenerative medicine industry and a pioneer in cell reprogramming. The collaboration agreement is a testimony of the value of Hemogenyx’ Hu-PHEC technology,” said Vladislav Sandler, CEO and co-founder of Hemogenyx.
