On November 2, 2016 Bellicum Pharmaceuticals and Hospital Bambino Gesù , the European reference point for the care and in pediatric research, announced the beginning of an extended collaboration centered on the development of new therapies with genetically modified cells for treating onco-hematological diseases (Press release, OPBG, NOV 2, 2016, View Source [SID1234516577]).
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In detail, the arrangement concerns the preclinical and clinical development of products advanced cell therapy engineered with the suicide gene new CaspaCIDe of Bellicum, for the production of lymphocytes through modified chimeric and T-lymphocyte receptors artificial receptor (CAR T and TCR) specific for certain antigens , including CD19.
The two entities will jointly develop T cells modified with chimeric receptors (CAR T) and other cellular therapies developed by the Child Jesus and engineered with the safety switch CaspaCIDe of Bellicum, designed to reduce or eliminate the cells, when necessary, that is, presence of possible side effects related to the same cells.
Under the agreement, Bellicum will provide the necessary financial support in exchange for worldwide commercialization rights to certain developed cell therapies, while the Baby Jesus will keep the rights for the purpose of ricerc a. The Hospital of the Holy See will perform clinical research and studies for the application of advanced cell therapies in pediatric patients, initially through two clinical trials based on the use of genetically modified lymphocytes with specific chimeric receptors and CD19 antigens GD2 , respectively, in patients pediatric suffering from acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and neuroblastoma.
The trial will begin in the first half of 2017 . In addition, the Baby Jesus will produce, within its pharmaceutical plant, genetically modified cells necessary for European experiments , including T lymphocytes transduced with PRAME (Preferentially Expressed Protein in Melanoma) and employable in patients with acute myeloid leukemia or bone cancer.