Press Release
Advanced BioDesign and Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH) join forces to explore new therapeutic strategies for overcoming tumor resistance
Partnership between Dr Bassam Janji’s TIME research team at LIH and Advanced BioDesign will see parties pool expertise to treat solid tumors
Lyon, France, and Luxembourg, July 1, 2020 – Advanced BioDesign, a French biotechnology company specializing in the development of innovative therapies for resistant forms of cancer, and the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), a public biomedical research institute, announce today a partnership to embark on a collaborative research program. The general objective of this partnership is to combine Advanced BioDesign’s expertise on targeting the specific cellular metabolism of tumors with the recognized experience of Dr Bassam Janji’s TIME (Tumor Immunotherapy and Microenvironment) research group on identiying mechanisms regulating the anti-tumor immune system. More specifically, the LIH research group TIME will be able to investigate the efficacy of Advanced BioDesign’s compounds in particularly severe pathologies where tumor immunosuppression constitutes a survival mechanism for cancer cells.
This partnership was made possible thanks to the involvement of the General Directorate of Research, Intellectual Property and New Technologies within the Luxembourg Ministry of the Economy, which organized a business meeting between Advanced BioDesign and Dr Bassam Janji’s team in December 2019.
Advanced BioDesign will collaborate with Dr Janji, head of the TIME research group, which is part of the oncology department of the LIH and a specialist in this field. The first step in this collaborative project will entail the use of preclinical melanoma and lung cancer models, two cancer indications for which Advanced BioDesign’s main compound has already demonstrated strong proof of concept in anticancer activity (Oncogene 2017 and 2020).
The TIME research group has long-standing expertise in the preclinical development of drugs with immunomodulating properties. The group has developed a wide range of cutting-edge technologies and preclinical models in the field of antitumor immunotherapy. Its expertise is internationally recognized. The group’s major research strategy is focused on generating basic knowledge to identify therapeutic targets that are capable of reprogramming immunologically desert tumors, known as ‘cold tumors’, into inflamed immune infiltrated tumors, known as ‘hot tumors’.
“Advanced BioDesign is proud to collaborate with Dr Janji’s team, which is recognized for its work on tumor resistance in anticancer therapies,” said Ismail Ceylan, CEO of Advanced BioDesign. “This alliance with the LIH paves the way to new markets for our company working alongside big pharma and allows us to consider potential partnerships with large groups in future joint clinical trials.”
“We are delighted to team up with Advanced BioDesign,” said Dr Janji. “This partnership will enable us to add a translational dimension to our research activities. The ultimate aim of the partnership is to develop innovative therapeutic strategies within the field of oncology. We firmly believe that our efforts will ultimately meet the urgent clinical needs and fully harness the impressive therapeutic value of molecules developed by Advanced BioDesign.”
Advanced BioDesign has already demonstrated and published very promising results for acute myeloid leukemia, melanoma, and NSCLC (non-small cell lung cancer). The company is seeking to extend its anticancer therapeutic strategy to include immune precision medicine with the aim of increasing the efficacy and reducing the adverse effects of current treatments, as well as adding new treatments to the existing therapeutic arsenal. Data generated by the partnership with the TIME research group at the LIH will be essential for understanding the contribution of Advanced BioDesign anticancer compounds in the treatment of patients with malignant immunosuppressive tumors.
The ultimate objective of the partnership between Advanced BioDesign and the LIH team is to consolidate the existing knowledge and complete the preliminary study by September 2020. Following this preliminary phase, a more comprehensive collaborative research program is foreseen.
ABOUT THE LUXEMBOURG INSTITUTE OF HEALTH
The Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH) is a cutting-edge public biomedical research institute. Drawing on its extensive expertise in public health, oncology, infectious and immunological diseases, and banking and processing of biological samples, the Institute pursues its commitment to public health through its research activities. At the LIH, over 350 employees are devoted to generating knowledge on human disease mechanisms, developing innovative therapies and effective tools promoting personalized medicine. The Institute is the major provider of public health information in Luxembourg, a reliable partner for cooperation on local and international projects, and a valued training facility for researchers in their early stage careers.
ABOUT ADVANCED BIODESIGN
Advanced BioDesign is a French biotechnology company developing an innovative targeted therapy to treat resistant cancers, with a first indication in acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
Its main anti-cancer compound, DIMATE (ABD-3001), is a first-in-class suicide inhibitor of aldehyde dehydrogenases 1 & 3 (ALDH1 & 3). The ALDH enzyme allows cancer cells to detoxify themselves by recycling harmful molecules. By inhibiting this enzyme, ABD-3001 causes apoptosis of the cancer cells without damaging healthy cells.
ABD-3001 is currently in the preclinical stage. Advanced BioDesign plans to submit its regulatory file to the French National Agency for Medicines and Health Products Safety (ANSM) in early 2021. The company is actively preparing to enter phase 1 clinical trials in 2021.
Founded in 2010 and based in Saint-Priest, near Lyon (France), Advanced BioDesign collaborates with Prof. Régis Costello at the AP-HM (Marseille, France), which is also a base for some of its employees. Since 2013, Advanced BioDesign has benefited from the strategic and scientific support of Xerys experts. As part of the continued funding of its research and development programs, Advanced BioDesign secured €9 million ($10M) at the end of 2019 from Xerys Funds.
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