BIND and Macrophage collaborate on nanomedicine

Clinical-stage nanomedicines specialist BIND Therapeutics (Nasdaq: BIND) and Macrophage Therapeutics, a subsidiary of Navidea Biopharmaceuticals (NYSE: NAVB), today announced a research collaboration focused on combining the companies' technologies to develop a nanomedicine that targets CD206 positive disease-associated macrophages.

Disease-associated macrophages play a pro-tumoral role and are immunosuppressive, preventing the immune system from mounting an attack on tumor cells. Based on the expression of CD206 mannose receptors on disease-associated macrophages, BIND and Macrophage have the potential to develop a CD206 targeted Accurin nanoparticle that is capable of concentrating various therapeutic payloads to the tumor microenvironment.

For BIND, this move fits with the company's business plans under the leadership of Andrew Hirsch to further evolve the potential of BIND's nanomedicine platform for partnering and product development opportunities.