GenVec collaborates with TheraBiologics on cancer therapeutics

Gene therapy specialist GenVec (Nasdaq: GNVC) has formed a collaboration with TheraBiologics to develop cancer therapeutics.

The collaboration will use GenVec’s proprietary gene delivery platform and TheraBiologics’ proprietary neural stem cell technology. GenVec will contribute technology, technical knowledge, vector construction and regulatory support, in exchange for an economic participation in the products being developed under the collaboration. TheraBiologics will take on all other development costs.

The initial goal is to create a next-generation product candidate to TheraBiologics’ TBX02, which uses an established neural stem cell line engineer to express a modified carboxylesterase enzyme that converts prodrug CPT-11 (irinotecan) to chemotherapy agent SN-38. GenVec’s proprietary adenovectors will be used to provide manufacturing and potency advantages to other adenovirus-derived vectors. It will use production methodologies that have already produced clinical trial material for more than 3,000 study patients.