Collaboration

Ankarys Therapeutics

Ankarys Therapeutics Inc. (Ankarys), Applied StemCell, Inc. (ASC), and HebeCell Corp. (HebeCell) entered into a strategic collaboration on October 20th, 2020 to co-develop allogeneic induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) NK cell therapeutics targeting hematological malignancies.

The collaboration will leverage Ankarys’ cGMP iPSC lines, proprietary CAR constructs, and FailSafe cell engineering technology. Ankarys will lead the Canadian CTA/US IND-enabling studies and launch a Phase I clinical trial in Canada and US.

Ankarys Therapeutics Inc., a subsidiary of panCELLa Inc, is an early-stage biotechnology company that focuses on developing cost-effective off-the shelf NK cell therapeutics with a rapid path to the clinic. Ankarys has expertise and assets in gene editing and iPSC line generation through panCELLa and access to state-of-the-art cGMP cell manufacturing facilities. Its product pipeline incudes iPSC-derived cellular products and a platform of CAR-NKs directed against hematological malignancies and solid tumours.

Dr. Armand Keating, Founder and Chairman of Ankarys, is an internationally recognized leader in blood and marrow transplantation and cell therapy. He is a professor of medicine and of biomedical engineering at the University of Toronto and established what has become the largest stem cell transplantation program in Canada at the University Health Network.

Applied StemCell

Ankarys Therapeutics Inc. (Ankarys), Applied StemCell, Inc. (ASC), and HebeCell Corp. (HebeCell) entered into a strategic collaboration on October 20th, 2020 to co-develop allogeneic induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) NK cell therapeutics targeting hematological malignancies.

The collaboration will leverage Ankarys’ cGMP iPSC lines, proprietary CAR constructs, and FailSafe cell engineering technology. Ankarys will lead the Canadian CTA/US IND-enabling studies and launch a Phase I clinical trial in Canada and US.

Applied StemCell Inc. is a leading Gene & Cell Therapy CRO company founded in 2008 in Milpitas, California. ASC supports early stage gene and cell therapy development processes with two high-impact platforms: CRISPR-TARGATT™ genome editing and stem cell technologies. Applied StemCell’s proprietary TARGATT™ technology enables site-specific, stable integration of large DNA fragments into a safe harbor locus more efficiently and faster, with guaranteed transgene expression without the disruption of internal genes and gene silencing. Please visit www.appliedstemcell.com for more details. ASC is a member of the National Institute of Technology and Standards (NIST) Genome Editing Consortium and provides benchmark materials using ASC’s stem cell technology and genetic engineering to establish measurements and standards for characterizing genome editing outputs.

Dr. Ruby Tsai is Founder, CEO and President of ASC. Prior to joining ASC, Dr. Tsai worked at Stanford University for 16 years as the Director of Transgenic Research Center and Associate Director of the Stanford Cancer Institute. She is also a co-inventor of the TARGATT™ integrase technology for site-specific gene insertion.

Proteintech

Proteintech and HebeCell entered into a collaborative partnership on November 11th, 2020 to develop proprietary nanobody based chimeric antigen receptor (nCAR) technology for the development and commercialization of iPSC-derived natural killer (iPSC-nCAR-NK) cells, a promising cellular immunotherapy treatment for cancer and other diseases.
Proteintech’s recent acquisition of nanobody manufacturer, ChromoTek, has made them a leading player in the nanobody space. ChromoTek nanobodies are camelid single-chain recombinant affinity reagents that fuel breakthrough research discoveries.

Proteintech, founded in 2002, is a leading manufacturer of antibodies, proteins and immunoassays. Proteintech has the largest proprietary portfolio of self-manufactured antibodies covering 2/3 of the human proteome. With over 70,000 publications and confirmed specificity, Proteintech offers antibodies and immunoassays across research areas. In addition, Proteintech produces cytokines, growth factors and other proteins that are human expressed, bioactive and cGMP-grade. Proteintech sites are ISO13485 and ISO9001-2015 accredited.