Harbour BioMed and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Collaborate to Advance Novel Biotherapies for Cancer Treatment

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Jun 16, 2021, 01:08 ET

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. and ROTTERDAM, Netherlands and SUZHOU, China, June 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Harbour BioMed (HKEX: 02142) announced today it has entered into a multi-year, multifaceted research collaboration agreement with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to co-develop novel biotherapies in cancer treatment.

Harbour BioMed scientists and Dana-Farber researchers will be working together to develop novel oncologic drugs, including bispecific antibodies and CAR-T cell products. In recent years, bispecific antibodies and CAR-T cell therapies are both considered as the next-generation solutions in the tumor immunology field. For their ability to engage two different targets, bispecific antibodies are expected to extend the possibilities of monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapeutics, and CAR-T cell therapy is an innovative immunotherapy that uses specially altered T-cells to redirect them to target cancer cells.

This strategic collaboration will leverage Harbour BioMed's transgenic Harbour Mice® platform with Dana-Farber's expertise in CAR-T cell development and basic oncology research to generate novel biotherapies.

Harbour BioMed's antibody technology platforms - Harbour Mice^®, which is based on two proprietary transgenic mouse platforms will be utilized to generate human therapeutic antibodies. The platforms have broad potential for generating both conventional as well as next-generation biologics, such as bi- and multi-specifics, CAR-Ts or VH domain-derived products that are fully human, affinity matured with excellent solubility and developability.

"We are delighted to initiate this collaboration with Harbour BioMed. The complementary technology and expertise between Harbour and DFCI will dramatically shorten the interval from novel discovery to developing optimized antibody and cellular therapies for clinical translation," said Dr. Eric Smith, Laboratory Principal Investigator & Director of Translational Research for Immune Effector Cell Therapies at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

"The collaboration with world renowned Dana-Farber Cancer Institute demonstrates HBM's commitment to developing novel medicines and fostering fast-track innovative research. I believe this collaboration will be ultimately translated into better treatments for cancer patients," said Jingsong Wang, Founder, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of HBM.

About Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. Dana-Farber is committed to providing cancer patients with the best cancer care possible today, while advancing tomorrow's cures through intensive basic and clinical research. We are a leader in the development of national cancer treatment guidelines and improving the quality and effectiveness of cancer care. Our unique model of multidisciplinary, compassionate, and collaborative care puts patients and their families at the center of all that we do. Our areas of expertise include breast cancer, skin cancer, gynecological cancers, lung cancer, stem cell transplants, and cancer clinical trials.

About Harbour BioMed

Harbour BioMed (HKEX: 02142) is a global biopharmaceutical company committed to the discovery, development and commercialization of novel antibody therapeutics focusing on oncology and immunology. The Company is building its robust portfolio and differentiated pipeline through internal R&D capability, collaborations with co-discovery and co-development partners and select acquisitions.

The Company's proprietary antibody technology platforms Harbour Mice^®generate fully human monoclonal antibodies in two heavy and two light chain (H2L2) format, as well as heavy chain only (HCAb) format. Building upon the HCAb antibodies, the HCAb-based immune cell engagers (HBICE™) are capable of delivering tumor killing effects unachievable by traditional combination therapies. Integrating Harbour Mice® with single B cell cloning platform, our antibody discovery engine is highly unique and efficient for development of next generation therapeutic antibodies.

For more information, please visit www.harbourbiomed.com

SOURCE Harbour BioMed