Pfizer is establishing a gene therapy platform to study potential treatments, led by a top UK expert, and had struck a deal with privately owned U.S. biotech firm Spark Therapeutics to develop a treatment for haemophilia.
The Spark program is expected to enter early-stage clinical trials for haemophilia B in the first half of 2015. Spark will be responsible for the early Phase I/II tests, with Pfizer taking over late-stage studies, any regulatory approvals and potential commercialization.
Spark will get $20 million upfront and be eligible for additional payments based on product success worth up to $260 million.
Pfizer’s research effort in gene therapy will be led by Michael Linden, a professor from King’s College London and director of the University College London Gene Therapy Consortium. Linden is joining Pfizer on a two-year secondment.
Among other major pharmaceutical companies, Bayer AG struck a gene therapy deal with Dimension Therapeutics in June, while Novartis AG recently established a new cell and gene therapies unit, and Sanofi SA has a long-standing tie-up with Oxford BioMedica.
Bluebird Bio
Bluebird Bio has now treated seven beta-thalassemia patients with its experimental, one-time gene therapy. Four of the patients — all followed for longer than three months — are producing enough oxygen-carrying hemoglobin on their own to eliminate the need for chronic blood transfusions.
Two of these super-responding beta-thalassemia patients — followed for a year and nine months, respectively — have hemoglobin levels of healthy adults. At this point, a single infusion of Bluebird’s gene therapy has essentially cured them of this serious, inherited blood disease.
The remaining three beta-thalassemia patients were infused with Bluebird’s gene therapy around one month ago so it’s too early to assess their response. A single patient with sickle cell disease was also just treated within the past month.
Bluebird estimates there are about 15,000 patients with B-thal in the U.S. and Europe, a majority of which have the major genotype which requires regular blood transfusions and would be candidates for LentiGlobin.
In the ongoing “NORTHSTAR” study, five beta-thalassemia patients have been infused with LentiGlobin. The longest followed patient, at six months, is producing 3.8 g/dl of “marked” beta globin, a measure of functional hemoglobin produced by the working gene inserted by LentiGlobin. This represents 44% of the patient’s total 8.6 g/dl of hemoglobin, sufficient to be transfusion independent.
NOTE : I have investments in BLUE but not in the other mentioned stocks in this article
SOURCES – thestreet, reuters
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
Known for identifying cutting edge technologies, he is currently a Co-Founder of a startup and fundraiser for high potential early-stage companies. He is the Head of Research for Allocations for deep technology investments and an Angel Investor at Space Angels.
A frequent speaker at corporations, he has been a TEDx speaker, a Singularity University speaker and guest at numerous interviews for radio and podcasts. He is open to public speaking and advising engagements.