Addition of Immunotherapeutic Agent Under Investigation for the Treatment of Ovarian Cancer to Asset Portfolio
TAMPA, Fla., July 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- H-CYTE, Inc. (OTCQB: HCYT), a medical biosciences company, announced today that the Company expects to close its acquisition of Jantibody within the next 30 days for an undisclosed amount.
Highlights:
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Milestone achieved as H-CYTE advances plans to build a diverse asset portfolio
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Focus indication for ovarian cancer with the potential to be used for other diseases such as mesothelioma and pancreatic cancer
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H-CYTE plans to submit the Pre-IND submission for Jantibody in the second half of 2022
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Plan to file for Orphan Drug Designation for Jantibody along with IND submission, which would grant the benefit of 7-year market exclusivity
“Jantibody is a significant addition to our immunotherapeutics portfolio of products under development,” said Michael Yurkowsky, H-CYTE’s Chief Executive Officer. “The H-CYTE team is excited to further the prospect of life extending care for those diagnosed with ovarian cancer, the fifth leading cause of cancer-related death in women. The acquisition of Jantibody demonstrates H-CYTE’s transformation into a hybrid-biopharmaceutical company.”
Jantibody is a novel cancer immunotherapeutic agent that has demonstrated robust efficacy in controlling ovarian cancer and mesothelioma in preclinical models of these diseases. The Jantibody molecule was developed and refined at the Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center at MGH and Harvard Medical School by Dr. Jeffrey Gelfand and Dr. Mark Poznansky. This molecule is a fusion protein between a broadly immune activating protein called MTBhsp70 and an immune targeting molecule called a single chain antibody which causes the molecule to specifically attach to tumor cells and stimulate a robust immune response specifically around these malignant cells resulting in their death.
Jantibody has been shown to work even more effectively in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors and a CXCR4 antagonist in preclinical models of cancer. The plan at Jantibody Inc. is to take this new immunotherapeutic molecule into first in human testing for ovarian cancer, which remains a very difficult to treat disease with current standard of care approaches. As of today, ovarian cancer occurs in one in 78 women in the United States.
About H-CYTE, Inc.
H-CYTE is a medical biosciences company. H-CYTE’s mission is to become a leader in next-generation, cellular therapeutics for the treatment of chronic health conditions, with the ultimate goal of improving patient lives. For more information about H-CYTE, please visit www.HCYTE.com.