INDUSTRIAL IMPACT
Palantir Technologies Inc. | December 21, 2021
Palantir Technologies Inc. a leading builder of operating systems for the modern enterprise, and Dewpoint Therapeutics the leading biomolecular condensates company, announced a partnership for Palantir’s Foundry platform to help power Dewpoint’s efforts to discover treatments and cures for the most challenging diseases.
Palantir Foundry will help to enable researchers at Dewpoint to further their understanding of condensates biology by analyzing lab data along with other data sources, including data from the published literature and databases, to identify new compounds and therapeutic approaches.
Dewpoint will also use Foundry as the primary platform for its centralized knowledge repository, helping it contextualize its experimental results and prioritize the most viable outcomes. This multi-year agreement marks one of Palantir’s most comprehensive partnerships with a biotechnology company.
Palantir Foundry is designed to integrate disparate and siloed information sources to lead to data-driven analysis and decision making. It allows users to track lineage across systems, making it particularly suited for work in life sciences and the biotechnology sector, where data sources come from several unique and separate systems.
At Dewpoint, Foundry will be able to work seamlessly with the existing systems in its laboratories to provide researchers with a comprehensive foundation for exploration and analysis.
“We think Dewpoint is changing the way the world approaches drug design by exploring new frontiers of disease biology, requiring a game changing solution that goes beyond just cloud and infrastructure to drive their R&D and scale with their vision as they grow. We are proud to partner with Dewpoint and share their passion of working on one of the most exciting translational medicine approaches of our time.”
Lalarukh Haris Shaikh, Palantir’s Head of Biotech
Foundry will help researchers make decisions around compound and target viability and streamline experiments and automate analysis by creating a digital twin of the research environment. One concrete example of Foundry’s use at Dewpoint Therapeutics is the expansion of the data foundation to include advanced genetic analysis for disease association and correlation with condensate content, empowering future discoveries.
“Key to our approach has been creating a seamless connection between our wet-lab and dry-lab capabilities, with machine learning and AI at the center. Foundry has provided us with a solid foundation for us to fully connect and operationalize our entire lab to enterprise and enable the discovery and development of new drugs,” said Dewpoint CEO Ameet Nathwani.
About Biomolecular Condensates
Biomolecular condensates, formed through a process called phase separation, are membraneless droplets inside cells that facilitate molecular interactions and help cells perform vital functions. Condensates have been shown to play a critical role in key biological processes and in serious, intractable diseases across areas including neurodegeneration, cancer, inflammation, infectious disease, metabolic disease, and rare genetic disorders. The first condensates were observed more than 100 years ago. It is only in the last dozen years, though, that scientists—including Dewpoint founders Tony Hyman of the Max Planck Institute in Dresden and Rick Young of the Whitehead Institute—have begun to understand the dynamic nature and function of condensates. Dewpoint develops drugs that exploit this biology.
About Dewpoint Therapeutics
Dewpoint Therapeutics is the first company to apply the emerging understanding of biomolecular condensates to drug discovery. Dewpoint believes that a vast range of conditions have pathways that are regulated by condensates or arise from the dysfunction of condensates — including cancer, neurodegeneration, infectious disease, and metabolic disease. Dewpoint scientists work in Boston, Dresden, and Berlin to translate condensate biology into treatments for the toughest diseases.
About Palantir Technologies Inc.
Palantir Technologies Inc. builds and deploys operating systems for the modern enterprise.
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GlobeNewswire | September 01, 2020
-Vir Biotechnology, Inc. (Nasdaq: VIR) and GlaxoSmithKline plc announced that the first patient was dosed last week in a Phase 2/3 study with VIR-7831 (also known as GSK4182136), a fully human anti-SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus-2) monoclonal antibody, for the early treatment of COVID-19 in patients who are at high risk of hospitalization. The aim of the COMET-ICE (COVID-19 Monoclonal antibody Efficacy Trial - Intent to Care Early) study, which will enroll approximately 1,300 patients worldwide who have early symptomatic infection, is to assess whether VIR-7831, as a single-dose monoclonal antibody, can prevent hospitalization due to COVID-19. Initial results may be available before the end of this year, with complete results expected in the first quarter of 2021, and potentially early access to the antibody treatment as soon as the first half of 2021. Last week’s initiation of the study follows the signing of a collaboration between the two companies in April 2020 to research and develop solutions for coronaviruses.
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INDUSTRIAL IMPACT
Vaxess Technologies | October 27, 2021
Vaxess Technologies, a biotechnology startup developing the MIMIXTM sustained-release intradermal microneedle patch, celebrated the grand opening of their 3,600 square feet pilot GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) manufacturing facility on Monday. The facility, which is located in Woburn, MA at one of the Cummings Park properties, will feature a state-of-the-art cleanroom where manufacturing of vaccine patches for clinical trials will take place. Using the clinical-grade patches produced in the facility, Vaxess plans to enter the clinic in 2022. In addition to the manufacturing suite, Vaxess has announced plans to expand their Woburn footprint by another 6,300 square feet to provide additional GMP space as well as lab space for a host of other development activities to further the MIMI“ platform.
After years of development, the company is thrilled to establish GMP manufacturing capabilities in Massachusetts for both our lead MIMIX-Flu vaccine program as well as a host of other pipeline products to follow,” said Vaxess CEO Michael Schrader.
Vaxess has experienced tremendous growth over the past year beyond the opening of the manufacturing facility including technological advancement of the platform and the expansion of the organization from 15 full time employees to 35 with additional future growth planned. All the progress that Vaxess has made this past year would not have been possible without the help of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC), which has supported Vaxess’ efforts since its inception. MLSC President and CEO, Kenn Turner, attended the Grand Opening and shared a few words.
“I want to congratulate the Vaxess team on their latest expansion to Woburn Since the Life Science Center’s initial investment in Vaxess, the company has exemplified the type of growth trajectory we aim to accelerate here in the Commonwealth. We will continue to lean in, and support companies seeking to create jobs and expand their footprint regionally, particularly in the manufacturing space.”
Massachusetts Life Sciences Center President and CEO Kenn Turner
In addition to Turner, numerous other individuals from both the Massachusetts biotechnology and political communities attended the event, including Joe Boncore, President of MassBio, Bill Cummings, Founder of Cummings Properties, Eric Anderson, President of Cummings Properties, Scott Galvin, Mayor of Woburn, Representative Richard Haggerty and Senator Cindy Friedman.
“I want to congratulate Vaxess Technologies on their continued job growth and expansion, which offers further proof that opportunities for innovation in life sciences are truly statewide in Massachusetts,” said Massachusetts Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy, who serves as Co-Chair of the MLSC Board of Directors. “The Baker-Polito Administration remains committed to supporting life sciences companies that recognize Massachusetts as the ideal place for companies to grow and thrive.”
About the MIMIX™ Technology
The MIMIX patch is designed to be the easiest and most effective way to deliver vaccines and therapeutics. The patch releases treatments to the body at their most beneficial rate and duration. For vaccines, the controlled release simulates the pace of a natural infection, helping the body produce a slow, strong, and enduring ramp-up of immune response, ultimately boosting a vaccine’s effectiveness. Engineered for stability, Vaxess’ patch does not require refrigeration and can be shipped to and applied in low resource settings. It is virtually painless and resembles an adhesive bandage. After the minutes-long prescribed wear time, the MIMIX patch is removed and discarded while leaving behind microscopic intradermal depots to present the therapeutic payloads to the immune system over ensuing days or weeks.
About Vaxess Technologies
Vaxess Technologies is developing the MIMIX™ sustained release patch technology, originally conceived at MIT and Tufts University. MIMIX™ uses the unique qualities of silk proteins and breakthrough immune activating biology to enable best-in-class vaccines and therapeutics. Vaxess has raised more than $60M in grant and venture capital funding from groups such as The Engine, BARDA, DARPA, NIH, NSF and the Gates Foundation. A MIMIX Phase I proof-of-concept trial using seasonal flu and COVID-19 antigens is slated to begin in the first half of 2022.
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