PureTech Health Exclusively Licenses Glyph Technology from Monash University to Harness Lymphatic Biology
Business Wire: August 29, 2017 – BOSTON, MA, U.S.A. – PureTech Health plc (“PureTech Health” or the “company”, LSE: PRTC), an advanced, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, today announced an exclusive licensing agreement with Monash University for a lymphatic targeting platform (the Glyph technology) based on the pioneering research of Christopher Porter, Ph.D., director of the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (MIPS) at Monash University in Australia. The Glyph technology is aimed at harnessing the biology of the lymphatic system to develop novel therapeutics, including those that selectively target certain lymph nodes. This program further builds on PureTech’s leadership in identifying novel approaches to address dysfunctions of the brain, immune, and GI systems.
“The lymphatic system is a vastly underexplored circulatory network that serves a fundamental role in maintaining physiological homeostasis and immune control,” said Dr. Joseph Bolen, chief scientific officer of PureTech Health. “The Glyph technology represents a major advancement in potentially enhancing transport and distribution of therapeutics via the lymphatic system and targeting of certain lymph nodes. By addressing the immune system at the sites of dysregulation and immune control, this novel approach has the potential to radically transform the treatment of serious disease.”
By virtue of its architecture and distribution throughout the body, the lymphatic system potentially represents a key conduit for communicating signals at the intersection of the immune-gut-brain axis. The Glyph technology is designed to harness the biology of the lymphatic system and the endogenous trafficking of compounds through this network to develop novel drugs that bypass first-pass metabolism, improve oral bioavailability, and significantly lower the risk of liver toxicity. In particular, the mesenteric lymph nodes, proximal to the gut, are exposed to a host of microbiome-related species and serve an integral role in immune education and control. Targeting the lymphatic pathway potentially enables rational design of therapeutics to modulate the immune system, representing an innovative approach to treating a broad range of serious immunological disorders, such as cancer and autoimmune diseases. The Glyph technology will be developed by PureTech Health through its subsidiary, Glyph Biosciences, in collaboration with Dr. Porter’s laboratory.
“Through our work at Monash University, we have designed chemistries that potentially enable drugs to be preferentially and effectively transported through the endogenous pathways of lipid transport via the intestinal lymphatics in a controlled manner,” said Dr. Porter. “Our technology has been shown in preclinical experiments to achieve significant oral bioavailability of compounds through the avoidance of first-pass metabolism, and has the potential to significantly mitigate liver toxicity and to alter systemic drug disposition. I am excited to be working with PureTech Health to rapidly advance this potentially disruptive technology platform toward the development of novel therapeutics.”
“This new program builds on PureTech’s unique expertise and approach to utilize novel biology, such as the lymphatic distribution network, to treat serious diseases,” said David Steinberg, chief innovation officer and a cofounder of PureTech Health. “We look forward to a great partnership with Dr. Porter and building on his work at Monash University to drive advancements in immunomodulation.”
PureTech Health (PureTech Health plc, PRTC.L) is an advanced, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel medicines targeting serious diseases that result from dysfunctions in the immune, nervous, and gastro-intestinal systems by intervening early and addressing the underlying pathophysiology of disease. The company is advancing a rich pipeline that includes two pivotal or registration studies expected to read out in 2017, multiple human proof-of-concept studies, and several early clinical and preclinical programs. PureTech Health’s growing research and development pipeline has been developed in collaboration with some of the world’s leading scientific experts, who along with PureTech’s experienced team and a stellar Board identify, analyze, and advance very selectively the opportunities the company believes hold the most promise for patients. This experienced and engaged team places PureTech Health at the forefront of groundbreaking science and technological innovation and leads the company between and beyond existing disciplines. For more information, visit www.puretechhealth.com or connect with us on Twitter @puretechh.
