072 | ImmunoBiochem is haloed with angel investors, BioTalent Canada provides subsidy for more “green jobs”, giving the gift of sight and more

Ahead of Biotechnology Focus radio are some of the highlights of the week. ImmunoBiochem is haloed with angel investors after completing a new round of financing. Biotalent Canada provides subsidy to fund more “green jobs” for young graduates. eSight named one of the best inventions in 2017 by giving the gift of sight. Zymeworks presents results of ongoing completed dose escalation phase 1 oncology study. Welcome to another episode of Biotechnology Focus radio. I am your host, Michelle Currie, here to give you a run-down of the top stories of Canada’s biotech scene. +++++ Our first story this week takes us to the heart of Toronto with ImmunoBiochem Corporation as it completes a new round of financing led by angel investors and the company’s founding investor. The corporation has expanded its operations and is now located at Johnson & Johnson, JLABS, in the centre of Toronto. The company is focused on solving tumour heterogeneity by targeting a class of proteins in the tumour microenvironment with antibody drug conjugates (ADCs). This is an anticancer therapeutics class that combines the selectivity of targeted biologics with the potency of highly cytotoxic small-molecule drugs. One of the highest priorities of ImmunoBiochem is to transform the lives of patients who have triple-negative breast cancer – an extremely aggressive disease that has poor survival rates and does not respond well to major therapies. ImmunoBiochem in partnership with the Centre for the Commercialization of Antibodies and Biologics (CCAB) and the University of Toronto, has developed fully-human antibodies for the treatment of breast cancer and solid tumours. JLABS Toronto is a 40,000 square foot facility located in the MaRS Discovery District. The labs provide a flexible environment for start-up companies pursuing innovative technologies and research platforms for life sciences. Johnson & Johnson does not take an equity stake in the companies occupying their space or in developed products. ImmunoBiochem is a member of the Ontario Bioscience Innovation Organization and is partaking in the OBIO Capital Access Advisory Program. The company is also supported by MaRS Health and the Health Innovation Hub (H2i) accelerator at the University of Toronto. The company will be at the JPMorgan Healthcare week in California next month and is open to additional partnerships and investment. +++++   BioTalent Canada announces the extension of its wage-subsidy program aimed at helping new graduates across Canada gain access to “green jobs”. The federally funded program will provide $2.3 million in wage subsidies and create over 200 new placements over the next two years in biotech, environmental and likewise sectors. Career Focus Green Jobs is a wage subsidy initiate intended to alleviate youth unemployment. It has been funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Youth Employment Strategy. Wage subsidies have a positive record of jumpstarting careers, especially for biotech grads and aiding small to mid-sized enterprises acquire the funds to hire more talent. According to the BioTalent Canada’s 2017 labour market report on youth employment, almost 85 per cent of new graduates retain full-time employment after their wage subsidy ends. BioTalent Canada, a national non-profit HR association for Canada’s bio-economy, has a long track record of successful implementation of wage-subsidy programs and will disburse over $10.3 million in wage subsidies, to create 1,400 job placements over the next four years. The Green Jobs program will form an important component of those new placements. Eligible companies will be those with a sustainable development mission, or those with products or services that directly reduce carbon footprint, enhance recycling or reduce waste. Similarly, positions that are dedicated to those ends from other industries may also be eligible for the subsidy. Companies interested in applying are encouraged to visit biotalent.ca/wage-subsidies for more information. +++++   Time magazine has named eSight one of the best inventions in 2017. After years of challenging work, and millions of dollars, the company was able to develop electronic glasses that actually allowed the blind to see. Inspired by his two blind sisters, the founder had decided to use his engineering skills to find a solution they could live with. The organization believes that everyone deserves to see. This technology has the capability of changing millions of individual lives across the world. It will allow for mobility and freedom and for each person to experience those momentous moments when they can see their loved ones faces, their peers, and a whole new way to virtually see life. Dr. Brian Mech, president and CEO of eSight says that “For eSight to receive this recognition from Time is a wonderful affirmation of the breakthrough work we do on a daily basis to Make Blindness History. eSight’s world-class lab is the largest and most advanced, anywhere in the world, that specializes exclusively in developing clinically-validated medical devices that allow the legally blind to actually see and be independently mobile.” eSight will work on individuals with low vision, and who are legally blind. People who are legally blind have an acuity of 20/200 or poorer in their better eye. Low vision is another term often used, referring to people who have an acuity of 20/70 or poorer in their better eye. The eyes are very complex organs and there are many eye conditions that can cause blindness or low vision. There are many testimonials from legally blind individuals who have used this device can not express enough how much this technology has changed and enhanced their life. The company has seen tremendous amounts of interest from companies wishing to help their blind employees to schools wanting to give the gift of sight to students. Time magazine has aptly named eSight for being one of the best inventions in 2017. +++++   Lastly this week, Zymeworks Inc. presents the completed dose escalation portion of its phase I study of ZW25, a bispecific antibody targeting two distinct domains of the HER2 receptor. The HER2-mediated signaling pathway is perceived to contribute to tumour growth in several cancers. There have been 22 patients enrolled in the study – 11 with breast cancer, eight with gastric, gastroesophageal junction, or esophageal (GE), and three with other HER2-expressing cancers. Part one of the multi-part study was a standard dose escalation where patients received ZW25 either weekly or bi-weekly in cycles of four weeks each. The Study Highlights are: – Six Partial Responses (PR) were observed across all dosing groups. – Clinical benefit was observed in heavily pretreated HER2-high breast and GE cancer patients. – Breast cancer patients received a median of six prior HER2-targeted regimens for metastatic disease; partial response in 56 per cent (5/9) of breast cancer patients with measurable disease, with 89 per cent (8/9) experiencing a decrease in target lesions. – Three HER2-high GE cancer patients with measurable disease displayed shrinking tumours. – ZW25 was well-tolerated at all doses and schedules, with the most common adverse events being diarrhea, infusion reactions, or nausea. – The dose escalation portion of the phase I trial is complete and enrollment in the expansion cohorts is underway. There was a reduction in target lesions per RECIST criteria in 79 per cent of breast and GE cancer patients with measurable disease (11/14). The best overall response (BOR) in 17 patients that had at least one tumour restaging was six in breast and GE cancer patients’ PR (35 per cent), three with SD (18 per cent) and eight with progressive disease (47 per cent). Of the eleven breast cancer patients, all were HER2-high and had received a median of six prior HER2-targeted regimens for metastatic disease. Of the eight GE patients, six were evaluable for response, and had received a median of four prior systemic regimens. Three of five patients with measurable disease had a decrease in tumour size. +++++ Well that wraps up another episode of Biotechnology Radio. We hope you enjoyed it. If you have any feedback or story ideas, please reach out to us via [email protected]. From all of us here at Biotechnology Focus, have a wonderful week ahead. From my desk to yours – this is Michelle Currie.