CytoMed Partners with SunAct Cancer Institute to Advance Solid Cancer Treatment
CytoMed Therapeutics Limited, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company based in Singapore, specializing in the development of novel allogeneic off-the-shelf immunotherapies using proprietary donor-derived cell technologies for cancer treatment, has announced a Business & Research Collaboration Agreement with SunAct Cancer Institute Private Limited, a Mumbai-based company incorporated in India.
The BRCA forms a collaborative effort between CytoMed and SunAct to explore and investigate the safety, tolerability, potency, and efficacy of CytoMed’s proprietary allogeneic gamma delta T cells for the treatment of various cancers (including solid tumors) in human subjects through clinical research, including a Phase 2 investigator-initiated trial in India. CytoMed and SunAct will be the joint sponsors of the Clinical Trial, working with the medical team in the SunAct Cancer Institute, led by Prof Dr Vijay Patil, a renowned medical oncologist and immunotherapy specialist in India and the founder of SunAct.
“Initiating this research and undertaking the accelerated Clinical Trial in the form of a combined Phase 1 and Phase 2 Clinical Trial targets not just the safety and efficacy of the therapeutic application and intervention of allogeneic gamma delta T Cells in the treatment of solid cancers but also expedites the gathering of information and data on the initial safety, preliminary efficacy, and optimal dosing. We expect to identify the types of cancers the therapy will work for, including the side effects of the same if any, and how we might manage them”, said Dr Vijay Patil.
“We are excited and eager to commence and accelerate the study. This collaboration with CytoMed will providan e alternative treatment for a wide range of solid cancers at a reduced cost to an increasing host of the population of India suffering from the effects of cancer. We aim to provide much-needed access to and treatment for cancer at an affordable cost and to contribute to an increasing and much needed global data pool in our quest for a solution to fight cancer”.
India’s commitment in the advancement of cancer immunotherapy, harnessing the ability of the immune system and application of immunotherapies is supported by the development and approval of international collaborations and clinical trials regulated by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) of India, and incentives such as grants for research in the relevant field, which can potentially help to reduce the cost of clinical research in India.
CytoMed’s Chairman Peter Choo added, “CytoMed’s collaboration with SunAct is timely and complements our core focus of harnessing CytoMed’s proprietary off-the-shelf technologies to develop novel donor-derived cell-based allogeneic immunotherapies for the treatment of various cancers at affordable cost. We are aligned with the foresight of our partner SunAct to provide affordable no-option cancer therapeutics that could improve patients’ quality of life. We are excited to work with Dr Vijay Patil in our goal to accelerate the therapeutic application of CytoMed’s patented allogeneic gamma delta T-Cells (Patent Number: MY-200528-A; ZL 2018 8 0023646.8; US 11,629,333 B2) in an increasing population of cancer patients in India and around the world”.
Under the BRCA, CytoMed will offer scientific and technical support for the Clinical Trial planning and execution. Additionally, CytoMed will handle the manufacturing of allogeneic gamma delta T cells as the investigational product. This partnership takes advantage of SunAct's local connections, along with Dr. Vijay Patil's expertise, their knowledge of regulations and the CDSCO, current immunotherapy advancements in India, and access to healthcare professionals, institutions, and patient populations.
