BioCentury
ARTICLE | Translation in Brief

AbbVie, Harvard in $30M emerging infections partnership, Peel’s cancer therapy from CHOP and Stoke’s Dravet therapy

BioCentury’s roundup of translational news

August 27, 2020 8:37 PM UTC

AbbVie Inc. (NYSE:ABBV) announced Tuesday it will provide $30 million over three years plus in-kind support from its scientists and facilities toward a research alliance with Harvard University aimed at developing therapies for emergent viral infections. The collaboration will concentrate on coronaviruses and viruses that lead to hemorrhagic fever, and cover five program areas: fundamental processes of immunity and immunopathology; host-targeted antiviral therapies; antibody therapeutics; small molecules; and translational development.

Peel Therapeutics Inc. has licensed from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia a chemoresistant tumor therapy based on SN22, a prodrug of irinotecan. In a Cancer Research paper published Monday, a CHOP team showed the therapy, which comprises multiple SN22 molecules linked to a nanocarrier, extended the survival of mice with drug-resistant neuroblastoma. The treatment also led to remission lasting at least six months in xenograft mouse models of neuroblastoma and sarcoma...