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- Posted Wednesday December 18, 2013
Ivy Foundation awards $3 million grant, supporting brain cancer research in Arizona
TGen, Nemucore Medical Innovations Inc., and Barrow Neurological Institute collaboration aims for new drugs to treat glioblastoma
PHOENIX, Ariz. - Dec. 18, 2013 - The Ben &
Catherine Ivy Foundation today announced a $3 million grant to the
Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen),
Nemucore Medical Innovations Inc., and Barrow Neurological
Institute at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center to help fund
significant brain tumor research in Arizona.
The collaboration of TGen, Nemucore and Barrow will pursue ways to
optimize targeted therapies delivered by nanotechnology systems to
treat glioblastoma, the most common and most aggressive form of
malignant brain tumors.
This project is a primary example of translational research,
moving laboratory findings as soon as practicable to patient care.
Laboratory success should result in eventual follow-on efforts in
the biomanufacturing of personalized medicine and implementation of
new therapies in clinical trials.
"We are excited about this innovative approach to research,
especially the collaboration between two major Arizona
institutions: TGen and Barrow," said Catherine Ivy, Founder and
President of the Ivy Foundation. "Knowing there is a tangible way
to develop therapies specific to the needs of patients will enhance
the care and treatment of every brain tumor patient - and that is
priceless."
One of the goals of this Ivy Foundation grant is to enable TGen,
Nemucore and Barrow to collaboratively align their findings toward
the goal of creating new medications that can bridge the body's
blood-brain barrier, which in the past has hampered the successful
implementation of intravenous brain-cancer drugs.
Each of the collaborators is a leader in their respective
fields:
• TGen's genomic sequencing - in which all 3
billion base-pair letters of human DNA are spelled out, in order -
can be used to create molecular profiles of patients and match
specific therapies to diseases, providing the promise of better
clinical results while minimizing side effects.
• Nemucore specializes in the development of
life-saving cancer nanomedicines, in which drugs are packaged in
ways that evade cancer defenses, delivering medications that can
knockout tumors.
• Barrow, which is internationally known for its
treatment of neurological disorders and treats one of the highest
volumes of brain tumors in the United States, will conduct
preclinical work to design nanomedicines for better access to the
tumor, and will also provide the setting for clinical trials, in
which patients are the first to benefit from new therapies.
"Working with the research team from the outset of the study will
be helpful. We can advise them on methods or components as they
develop novel formulations suitable for crossing the blood-brain
barrier," said Dr. Tim Coleman, CEO of Nemucore. "Without this type
of integrated approach it would take much longer to translate these
individualized investigational therapies to the clinic."
Based on the research findings, the team would work with a
strategic manufacturing partner, Blue Ocean Biomanufacturing, to
develop methods to manufacture personalized medicine for the
treatment of glioblastoma.
Coleman also is CEO of Blue Ocean, which is developing a cutting
edge, fully flexible manufacturing facility in Peoria, Arizona.
With a focus on small-batch pharmaceuticals and personalized
medicine, Blue Ocean will advance breakthrough technologies for
producing biopharmaceuticals with reasonable economics. This
revolutionary technology will make it possible to use the genetics
of a single patient's tumor to customize and produce the medicine
specific to them.
"Barrow's collaboration with TGen and Nemucore is unique in that
we will develop novel drug delivery technology that fully spans
basic academic science through bench top translation and
manufacturing," says Dr. Rachael Sirianni, assistant professor at
the Barrow Brain Tumor Research Center. "Our first and foremost
goal is to improve the prospects for patients diagnosed with
glioblastoma, and to translate our academic science into safe and
effective therapies. This innovative partnership between our
respective institutions and the funding provided by the Ivy
Foundation will make it possible to bring forward academic research
to benefit patients at Barrow and elsewhere."
"This grant is a tremendous step in changing the way medicine is
developed in Arizona," said Dr. Michael Berens, TGen Deputy
Director for Research Resources and Director of TGen's Cancer and
Cell Biology Division. "This project should enable us to develop
treatments that will bridge the blood-brain barrier. I
wholeheartedly thank the Ivy Foundation for their continuing
support of the work we are doing to find new and effective
treatments for the patients afflicted with this most aggressive
form of cancer."
# # #
About The Ben & Catherine Ivy
Foundation
The Ben & Catherine Ivy Foundation, based in Scottsdale,
Ariz., was formed in 2005, when Ben Ivy lost his battle with
glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Since then, the Foundation has
contributed more than $50 million to research in gliomas within the
United States and Canada, with the goal of better diagnostics and
treatments that offer long-term survival and a high quality of life
for patients with brain tumors. The Ben & Catherine Ivy
Foundation is the largest privately funded foundation of its kind
in the United States. For more information, visit www.ivyfoundation.org.
Connect with The Ben & Catherine Ivy Foundation on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/IvyFoundation
and on [email protected].
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About Barrow Neurological Institute
Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph's Hospital and
Medical Center is internationally recognized as a leader in
neurological research, diagnosis and patient care. Its
world-renowned physicians treat patients with a wide range of
neurological conditions, including brain and spinal disorders and
injuries. More brain surgeries are performed at Barrow than any
hospital in the United States and the Institute trains more
neurosurgeons than anywhere in the world. St. Joseph's is
consistently voted among the top hospitals in the United States for
neurology and neurosurgery.
Media Contact:
Carmelle Malkovich
Senior Public Relations Specialist
St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center
Barrow Neurological Institute
602-406-3319
[email protected]
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About Nemucore Medical Innovations Inc.
Nemucore Medical Innovations Inc. is dedicated to designing,
investigating, developing, and commercializing life-saving
nanomedicines for the treatment of ovarian cancer. Ultimately, we
believe our products will be part of the personalized medicine
revolution occurring in cancer therapies. Our unique focus on
reducing the complex nature of nanomedicine manufacturing is
expected to enhance the speed by which we translate novel
therapeutics to the clinic. As a participant in the National Cancer
Institute's Centers for Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence, we are
building a state of the art biomanufacturing facility as a national
resource for nanomedicine and emerging biopharmaceutical community.
NMI was founded in 2008 and is based in Worcester and Wellesley,
Massachusetts. For more information, please visit www.nemucore.com.
About Blue Ocean Biomanufacturing
Blue Ocean Biomanufacturing Inc. is a Strategic Manufacturing
Partner for translational scientists at academic medical centers
and emerging biopharmaceutical companies, focused on bringing
long-term product development, clinical and commercialization
biomanufacturing support to the innovative drug development
community. www.blueoceanbiomfg.com.
Press Contact:
Nicole Stephenson
617-461-7293
[email protected]
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About TGen
Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a Phoenix,
Arizona-based non-profit organization dedicated to conducting
groundbreaking research with life changing results. TGen is focused
on helping patients with cancer, neurological disorders and
diabetes, through cutting edge translational research (the process
of rapidly moving research towards patient benefit). TGen
physicians and scientists work to unravel the genetic components of
both common and rare complex diseases in adults and children.
Working with collaborators in the scientific and medical
communities literally worldwide, TGen makes a substantial
contribution to help our patients through efficiency and
effectiveness of the translational process. For more information,
visit:www.tgen.org.
Press Contact:
Steve Yozwiak
TGen Senior Science Writer
602-343-8704
[email protected]
