Toronto-based AmacaThera, a clinical-stage biotechnology company specializing in drug delivery, has announced a new pipeline program in collaboration with a global pharmaceutical company to develop a single-injection, long-acting biologic using AmacaThera's proprietary hydrogel delivery platform.
The partnership will combine AmacaThera's AmacaGel™ technology with the unnamed pharmaceutical partner's therapeutic to create an innovative biologic product. Both organizations will co-fund the initiative, leveraging their complementary expertise and resources to accelerate development.
"We are thrilled to collaborate on this promising venture," said Molly Shoichet, Chief Scientific Officer at AmacaThera. "This partnership allows us to utilize AmacaThera's deep expertise in delivery to achieve success with novel biologics. Our core technology has been rigorously tested at AmacaThera and the University of Toronto with a wide range of therapeutics – including small molecules, biologics and stem cells."
Clinical Validation of AmacaGel™ Platform
The announcement comes on the heels of AmacaThera's recent Phase 1 clinical trial results, which evaluated AmacaGel™ in combination with an anesthetic. This first-in-human study provided valuable data on both the core platform technology and its integration with a therapeutic payload, effectively de-risking the platform for future applications.
Mike Cooke, Chief Executive Officer at AmacaThera, emphasized the significance of this prior clinical work: "This collaboration builds on our manufacturing know-how and human data collected from our hydrogel platform, enabling us to rapidly develop effective solutions to injectable delivery challenges."
Cooke further highlighted the distinctive advantages of their technology: "Hydrogels have been widely researched, but what sets our platform apart is its broad compatibility with drug modalities, its simple, scalable and cost-effective manufacturing process, and its real-world human data."
Technological Differentiation
The AmacaGel™ platform represents a significant advancement in drug delivery technology. Its versatility allows for integration with various therapeutic modalities, including small molecules, biologics, and stem cells. This flexibility, combined with established manufacturing processes and human clinical data, positions AmacaThera's technology as particularly attractive for pharmaceutical partnerships.
The platform's ability to enable single-injection, long-acting drug delivery addresses a significant challenge in biologic administration, which often requires frequent dosing. By potentially reducing injection frequency, the technology could improve patient compliance and treatment outcomes.
Partnership Facilitation
The collaboration was facilitated through CQDM's Connect-Pharma series, which connects Canadian companies and academics with representatives from CQDM's global pharmaceutical members. CQDM is an organization dedicated to fostering collaboration within the biopharmaceutical sector.
Raphael Hofstein, CQDM Board Member, commented on the partnership: "We have seen AmacaThera's technology progress from the laboratory to human trials, and this collaboration underscores industry's strong confidence in the AmacaThera platform."
Mark Steedman, Senior Business Development Director at CQDM, added: "We are excited to have brought this collaboration together, and believe that due to the de-risked nature of the AmacaThera technology this project can advance rapidly and generate valuable data in a short period of time."
Future Implications
While specific details about the therapeutic target and timeline remain undisclosed, the collaboration represents a significant milestone for AmacaThera as it expands its pipeline beyond its initial clinical program. The partnership validates the company's platform technology and positions AmacaThera for potential future collaborations with other pharmaceutical companies seeking innovative drug delivery solutions.
For the unnamed pharmaceutical partner, the collaboration provides access to a clinically validated delivery platform that could enhance the efficacy and patient experience of their biologic therapy, potentially creating a competitive advantage in the market.
As the project advances, it will likely generate additional data on the versatility and effectiveness of the AmacaGel™ platform, further strengthening AmacaThera's position in the drug delivery space and potentially opening doors to additional applications and partnerships.
