TAE Life Sciences has today announced a landmark agreement with Biddle Sawyer to serve as the exclusive supplier of TC220, a novel boronated amino acid analog drug for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT).
As part of this exclusive agreement, Biddle Sawyer has enlisted contract research and manufacturing organisation Kinentia Biosciences to refine and streamline the drug's manufacturing process, and ultimately produce the drug in their state-of-the-art GMP facility. Kinentia Biosciences will be the exclusive manufacturer of TC220 for the US market.
Today, TAE Life Sciences is working with several renowned cancer hospitals around the world to deploy its Alphabeam BNCT system to conduct clinical research and begin clinical trials.
This collaboration between Biddle Sawyer and Kinentia will help propel TAE Life Sciences' clinical trials pipeline forward by readying its TC220 boronated drug for the IND application process with the United States Food & Drug Administration.
We are driven by the mission to bring our biologically targeted radiation therapy to those fighting aggressive and recurrent cancers
- Kendall Morrison, CSO at TAE Life Sciences
"As a strategic partner to TAE Life Sciences and Kinentia, our collective mission is to push the boundaries of BNCT by manufacturing groundbreaking boronated drugs that offer many advantages to today's most common BNCT drugs. Leveraging our strong foothold in the pharmaceutical industry, we are enthusiastic about working with this group to revolutionise radiation oncology and unlock new clinical possibilities," said Lee DeWitt, VP of Business Development, Biddle Sawyer.
"We are thrilled to partner with Biddle Sawyer and TAE Life Sciences on this significant long-term supply agreement for TC220. Kinentia's expertise in process refinement, backed by our comprehensive cGMP manufacturing capabilities, perfectly aligns with TAE Life Sciences' commitment to innovation and excellence in drug discovery and development," said David Fairfax, President of Kinentia Biosciences.
BNCT stands out as an innovative and distinctive biologically-targeted radiation therapy that employs a non-toxic boron-10 compound and a neutron source. When exposed to a low-energy neutron beam, this boronated compound triggers a targeted reaction, effectively eliminating cancer cells while preserving healthy tissue.
TAE Life Sciences has made a remarkable breakthrough with their exclusive drug, TC220, representing a significant leap forward in BNCT. Notably, TC220 offers several key advantages over conventional boronophenylalanine (BPA) as the boron target drug. Through pre-clinical studies, TC220 has demonstrated its ability to deliver boron more effectively to tumor cells compared to BPA. This is attributed to its enhanced solubility, prolonged retention in tumor tissue, and consistent and superior boron delivery in multiple human tumor xenografts. With these exceptional attributes, TC220 holds the potential to be applied across a broader range of clinical scenarios, thereby expanding the horizons of BNCT as a next-generation cancer treatment.
"We are driven by the mission to bring our biologically targeted radiation therapy to those fighting aggressive and recurrent cancers," said Kendall Morrison, Ph.D., CSO at TAE Life Sciences. "This exclusive supplier deal with Biddle Sawyer and Kinentia Biosciences represents a significant milestone in our journey to deliver cutting-edge cancer treatments to patients in need."
BNCT has shown promising outcomes in clinical studies worldwide. With the availability of better boron-10 drugs like TC220 and an in-hospital neutron system like TAE Life Sciences' Alphabeam, there is a unique opportunity to improve patient care and treatment economics while reducing the burden and stresses of cancer treatment on the body.
Clinical trials for Alphabeam and proprietary boron-containing drugs are expected to commence in the United States and Europe in 2024.
