Mount Sinai and Harbour BioMed Collaborate to Advance Novel Biotherapies for the Treatment of Cancer and Coronavirus COVID-19
March 06, 2020Collaboration combines Harbour BioMed’s proprietary H2L2 Harbour Mice® platform for fully human monoclonal antibody generation with Mount Sinai’s translational medical research expertise.
NEW YORK, NY, CAMBRIDGE, MA, ROTTERDAM, NL, and SUZHOU, CN – Mount Sinai Health System and Harbour BioMed (HBM) have entered into a multi-year, multifaceted collaboration to develop novel, fully human antibodies for the treatment and prevention of various diseases including oncology and immunology.
The collaboration will also utilize the H2L2 Harbour Mice® platform to generate monoclonal antibodies against the coronavirus SARS CoV 2 – COVID-19 (commonly known as COVID-19).These fully human monoclonal antibodies could be used therapeutically for people who have been exposed to the virus, or prophylactically for individuals with a high risk of exposure, such as healthcare workers. The antibodies have the potential to prevent spread of the virus by blocking infection of cells.
“We are pleased to be able to collaborate with HBM at this time and leverage our experience in therapeutic antibody generation as well as the viral expertise of the Microbiology Department with the unique human antibody producing mice from Harbour,” said Professor Thomas Moran, PhD, Director, Center for Therapeutic Antibody Development (CTAD) at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
“This is a unique collaboration that will give HBM access to Mount Sinai’s innovative research driven from its clinical practices. The agreement demonstrates HBM’s commitment to develop novel medicines and foster fast-track innovative research. We will push the boundaries of science and the development of new medicines that will ultimately translate into better treatments for patients,” said Jingsong Wang, MD, PhD, Founder, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of HBM.
“The relationship with HBM is yet another opportunity for Mount Sinai to develop new treatments for significant diseases and conditions,” said Erik Lium, PhD, President, Mount Sinai Innovation Partners. “This work will bring Mount Sinai’s innovation ecosystem one step closer to the drug development process.”
About Harbour BioMed
Harbour BioMed is a global, clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapeutics in the fields of immuno-oncology and inflammatory diseases. The company is building its proprietary pipeline through internal R&D programs, collaborations with co-discovery and co-development partners and select acquisitions.
The company’s internal discovery programs are centered around its two patented transgenic mouse platforms (Harbour Mice®) for generating both fully human monoclonal antibodies and heavy chain only antibodies (HCAb) based immune cell engager (HBICETM) bispecific antibodies. Harbour BioMed also licenses the platforms to companies and academic institutions. The company has operations in Cambridge, Massachusetts; Rotterdam, The Netherlands; and Suzhou & Shanghai, China.