Archives for December 2021

BETHLEHEM, Pa.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Saladax Biomedical, Inc (Saladax) is pleased to announce an exclusive distribution agreement with HLS Therapeutics Inc. (“HLS”) (TSX:HLS) to distribute five MyCare™ Psychiatry Laboratory Assays used to measure the six most commonly prescribed antipsychotic drugs in Canada.

The MyCare Psychiatry Laboratory Assays are essential diagnostic tools to monitor a patient’s antipsychotic drug blood level. Unfortunately, these medications can have adverse effects if the drug level is too high. Conversely, if the drug level is too low, the patient’s condition may not be treated effectively.

Current drug level methods are not rapid enough, which diminishes their clinical utility. Providing practitioners with convenient, rapid antipsychotic drug tests will increase patient access to this important testing and assist practitioners in managing their patients’ therapy. Traditionally, these tests were only available and performed by centralized reference laboratories using sophisticated instruments. As a consequence, by the time Healthcare Providers receive the results, the test’s clinical utility is vastly diminished. The MyCare Laboratory Assays are run on existing automated analysers already present in most hospital laboratories, expanding access for patients and providing results rapid enough to be of clinical benefit.

Health Canada has recently approved the MyCare Psychiatry Laboratory Assays to provide blood drug concentration levels for clozapine, risperidone, paliperidone, aripiprazole, olanzapine, and quetiapine products.

“The ability of our assays to be commonly available, in a timely manner, means that clinicians for the first time will now have a convenient diagnostic tool to assist in the management and optimization of their patient’s therapy,” stated Salvatore Salamone, President and CEO, and Founder of Saladax. “By advancing our partnership with HLS, we are confident that Canadians will now have increased access to this critical testing that will assist practitioners in managing their patients’ therapy.”

ABOUT SALADAX BIOMEDICAL, INC.

Headquartered in Bethlehem, PA, Saladax Biomedical, Inc. is a privately held company that develops, manufactures, and markets assays that provide rapid therapeutic drug levels for essential and life-saving medicines prescribed by psychiatrists and oncologists. Since 2007, Saladax’s proprietary technology has been used in clinical laboratories or point-of-care settings to assist clinicians to monitor and optimize patient care. Additionally, the company collaborates with leading pharmaceutical companies to develop tests for clinical trials and companion diagnostics. For more information, visit MyCareTests.com

ABOUT HLS THERAPEUTICS INC.

Formed in 2015, HLS is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the acquisition and commercialization of late-stage development, commercial-stage promoted, and established branded pharmaceutical products in the North American markets. HLS’s focus is on products targeting the central nervous system and cardiovascular therapeutic areas. HLS’s management team is composed of seasoned pharmaceutical executives with a strong track record of success in these therapeutic areas and at managing products in each of these lifecycle stages. For more information, please visit: www.hlstherapeutics.com

Contacts

Saladax Biomedical, Inc.
Salvatore Salamone, Ph.D., 610-419-6731
ssalamone@saladax.com

ROCKVILLE, Md.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Immunomic Therapeutics, Inc., (“ITI”) a privately held clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on advancing its proprietary nucleic acid immunotherapy platform, announced today an exclusive option to license or acquire a series of innovative technologies in the immuno-oncology space from iOncologi, Inc., (“iOi”).

Preclinical studies led by iOi Co-Founders, Drs. Duane Mitchell and Catherine Flores, have demonstrated that resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) can be overcome by iOi’s novel, intravenously delivered stem cell-based therapeutic. Rapid translation of this possible breakthrough discovery into first-in-human clinical trials is underway. ITI’s option offers potential opportunities for both companies to further facilitate clinical and commercial development in the field of cell therapy and for collaboration in the development of nucleic acid vaccines that complements ITI’s own UNITE™ technology. The option agreement contemplates additional investment by ITI dependent upon iOi achieving certain clinical trial milestones.

“We are pleased to expand our collaboration with Dr. Duane Mitchell, both in his role as Founder & President of iOncologi, and as a leading academic researcher in the immuno-oncology field. Dr. Mitchell has been instrumental in the development and leadership of our ATTAC-II clinical trial for patients with Glioblastoma,” said Dr. William Hearl, CEO of Immunomic Therapeutics. “His determination to bring innovative treatments to patients is what compounds the complementary technologies in both companies.”

“We are very excited to have iOncologi and Immunomic Therapeutics bring together complementary expertise in the advancement of new treatments for patients with refractory cancers,” said Dr. Mitchell. “This agreement expands upon a longstanding and very fruitful collaboration with Dr. Hearl and the team at ITI in bringing forward novel immunotherapy treatments for patients with Glioblastoma. I look forward to the advances that will come from this agreement between the two companies.”

About Immunomic Therapeutics, Inc.

Immunomic Therapeutics, Inc. (ITI) is a privately-held, clinical stage biotechnology company pioneering the development of vaccines through its proprietary technology platform, UNiversal Intracellular Targeted Expression (UNITE), which is designed to utilize the body’s natural biochemistry to develop vaccines that generate broad immune responses. UNITE has a robust history of applications in various therapeutic areas, including infectious diseases, oncology, allergy and autoimmune diseases. ITI is primarily focused on applying the UNITE platform to oncology, where it could potentially have broad applications, including antigen-derived antibodies as biologics. The Company has built a pipeline leveraging UNITE with programs in oncology, animal health, infectious disease and allergy. ITI has entered into a significant allergy partnership with Astellas Pharma and has formed several academic collaborations with leading Immuno-oncology researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Institute, Johns Hopkins University of Medicine, and Duke University School of Medicine. ITI maintains its headquarters in Rockville, Maryland. For more information, please visit www.immunomix.com.

About iOncologi, Inc.

iOncologi, Inc. (iOi) is a privately held biotechnology company focused on the advancement of novel immunotherapies for the treatment of refractory cancers and infectious diseases. iOi’s core platform technology involves the proprietary use of intravenously delivered stem cells to overcome resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in a variety cancers. iOi holds particular expertise in the treatment of malignant brain tumors and is focused on advancing its immunomodulatory stem cell therapy for adult and pediatric patients with malignant gliomas, as well as for patients with brain metastasis. iOi’s stem cell therapy has also demonstrated a capacity to enhance the effectiveness of adoptive T cell therapy and holds significant potential in the treatment of severe infectious diseases and sepsis. iOi maintains its headquarters at The Hub at Innovation Square in Gainesville, Florida.

Contacts

iOncologi:
Barbara Frentzen
bfrentzen@ioncologi.com
352-559-5100

ITI:
Melissa Kemp
mkemp@immunomix.com
301-968-3501