LIfT BioSciences, a rapidly emerging biotech company positioned as the global leader in neutrophil immunotherapies, has announced significant progress toward bringing its innovative cancer treatment to clinical trials through two strategic partnerships.
Strategic Collaboration with Gift of Life Biologics
The company has established Gift of Life Biologics (GOLB) as its preferred partner for sourcing hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) essential for producing its clinical-grade Immunomodulatory Alpha Neutrophils (IMANs). This collaboration provides LIfT with access to an extensive network of over 500,000 well-characterized donors, eliminating potential supply constraints as the company prepares for clinical trials.
"In selecting Gift of Life Biologics as our preferred partner for sourcing HSCs, we are ensuring that our IMAN platform is both built on a foundation of the highest quality and scalable to meet demand," said Alex Blyth, Chief Executive Officer of LIfT BioSciences. "Their extensive donor pool and rigorous GMP standards enable us to scale without constraint, while precisely selecting super donors aligned with our proprietary intellectual property."
The partnership will leverage GOLB's FDA-registered and EMA GMP-certified facility to support LIfT's patented donor selection and manufacturing process. Eric Strati, Pharm. D., Chief Executive Officer of Gift of Life Biologics, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, highlighting their organization's capability to support LIfT's innovative approach to characterizing "super donors" with exceptional anti-cancer neutrophils.
Clinical Trial Partnership in Ireland
In a parallel development, LIfT has announced a partnership with the University of Galway and Hooke Bio to conduct clinical trials for its IMAN therapy in Ireland. This collaboration combines LIfT's innovative immunotherapy approach with the University of Galway's expertise in oncology and Hooke Bio's analytical capabilities.
The planned trial will initially test the feasibility and safety of IMAN therapy in patients with metastatic cervical cancer or head & neck cancer who have exhausted all standard treatment options, including checkpoint inhibitors. The study design includes testing progressively higher IMAN doses in sequential patient cohorts until defining a biologically active dose, followed by an expansion phase combining IMANs with checkpoint inhibitor therapy.
Dr. Alfonso Quintás Cardama, acting Chief Medical Officer of LIfT BioSciences, explained the scientific rationale: "This trial aims to show how IMANs can fulfill a crucial unmet need by enhancing innate immune competence, which has been lacking in current solid tumor immunotherapies. We will closely monitor immune system recruitment into the tumour, vital for maximising immunotherapeutic benefits."
Dr. Michael McCarthy, Consultant Medical Oncologist and Principal Investigator at University Hospital Galway, emphasized the potential impact: "Cancer remains a devastating epidemic, claiming over 10 million lives every year, with many patients lacking an effective treatment option. IMANs represent a revolutionary approach, offering the potential to combat treatment-resistant tumours."
The Science Behind IMANs
LIfT's proprietary Immunomodulatory Alpha Neutrophils represent a first-in-class cell therapy designed to overcome treatment resistance in solid tumors. Unlike many existing immunotherapies that target specific antigens, IMANs kill cancer cells in a non-antigen specific manner and transform the tumor microenvironment to promote a durable response and lasting immunity.
The therapy is produced using LIfT's patented N-LIfT platform, which utilizes exceptional stem cells (either induced pluripotent stem cells or hematopoietic stem cells), proprietary enhancement media, and genetic engineering techniques. Preclinical results have demonstrated that IMANs effectively attract T cells and natural killer (NK) cells, suggesting potential efficacy against therapy-resistant cancers.
Expanding Operations and Future Plans
These partnerships follow LIfT's recent expansion of manufacturing and clinical operations into Ireland, establishing the company's presence in the European Union and providing access to the country's established centers of excellence and growing biotechnology sector.
The company is also preparing initiatives with pharmaceutical license partners to develop a portfolio of engineered CAR IMAN cell therapies targeting various solid tumors. Following completion of its current funding round, LIfT anticipates entering clinical trials in 2026, pending regulatory approvals.
As the global leader in neutrophil-based immunotherapies, LIfT BioSciences holds extensive patents giving them ownership over the allogeneic neutrophil space in oncology and other therapeutic areas. These strategic partnerships position the company to accelerate the development of its potentially transformative cancer treatment approach.
