A team for Accurins

BIND Therapeutics inks a collaboration with Macrophage Therapeutics to develop Accurins with the Manocept targeting platform

Kelsey Kaustinen
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CAMBRIDGE, Mass. & DUBLIN, Ohio—Nanomedicine company BIND Therapeutics Inc. has begun a research collaboration with Macrophage Therapeutics, a subsidiary of Navidea Biopharmaceuticals Inc., to engineer Accurins with the Manocept targeting platform that enables selective, efficient binding to CD206-positive disease-associated macrophages. If proof of concept is achieved, BIND and Macrophage intend to expand the collaboration to develop Manocept-linked Accurins as a novel, potent approach to targeting the tumor microenvironment. No financial details were released.
 
"This collaboration represents a potentially significant advance in the evolution of our platform as we develop Accurins with novel targeting ligands," Andrew Hirsch, president and CEO of BIND Therapeutics, said in a press release. "The modular nature of our platform offers multiple therapeutic possibilities, and our collaboration with Macrophage Therapeutics may enable the development of Accurins that target activated macrophages, which in cancer, help create an immunosuppressive microenvironment. We believe the clinically validated Manocept platform, with its unique ability to seek out activated macrophages, fits into our vision to engineer Accurins that have a profound impact on the treatment of diseases, including our current focus in cancer."
 
BIND's Accurins are targeted, programmable therapeutics developed with the company's Medicinal Nanoengineering platform. The nanoparticles offer prolonged circulation, controlled and tunable release and selective targeting of a therapeutic payload, in addition to being able to integrate multiple payloads.
 
Navidea's Manocept CD206 Targeting platform is a proprietary mannose-containing, receptor-directed technology platform that allows for the engineering of novel, synthetic receptor-targeted imaging agents and therapeutics for cancer and other diseases. Specifically, it enables the design of novel immuno-constructs that selectively target and bind to CD206 (mannose receptor) and other C-type Lectins found on activated, disease-associated macrophages and tumor associated macrophages
 
"We are pleased to work with BIND Therapeutics to explore the therapeutic potential of our two complementary technology platforms," Dr. Michael M. Goldberg, CEO of Macrophage Therapeutics and director of Navidea, commented in a statement. "The Manocept platform is the basis for the FDA-approved CD206 targeted sentinel lymph node detection agent, Lymphoseek (technetium Tc 99m tilmanocept) injection. Coupled with BIND's specifically engineered Accurins that concentrate therapeutic payloads to extracellular and intracellular compartments, with a tunable controlled-release profile, we are optimistic that we can create a wide range of therapeutic applications."
 
"The collaboration furthers our vision to develop therapeutic applications of the Manocept platform through strategic partnerships," added Rick Gonzalez, Navidea's president and CEO. "In collaborating with BIND, we will be able to leverage their accomplished R&D team who has strong track record for advancing targeted nanoparticles from concept into the clinic."
 
Disease-associated macrophages are immunosuppressive, and generally play a pro-tumoral role. Given the expression of CD206 mannose receptors on disease-associated macrophages, the companies intend to research and develop a CD206-targeted Accurin nanoparticle that can concentrate therapeutic payloads to the microenvironment of tumors.
 
"It is well established that macrophages play an important role in many disease states, but it has proven difficult to selectively target and alter macrophages that play a key role in disease progression," said Dr. Hagop Youssoufian, chief medical officer at BIND Therapeutics. "By coupling Accurins with Macrophage's well-credentialed CD206 targeting ligand, we may be able to treat macrophage-mediated diseases through increased uptake, and concentration, of targeted therapeutic payloads in the tumor microenvironment. BIND's Medicinal Nanoengineering platform is able to combine multiple molecular components into a targeted, long-circulating Accurin. An Accurin nanoparticle that binds to CD206 positive macrophages could be a valuable asset in the armament against multiple cancers and disease states."
 
 
SOURCE: BIND press release

Kelsey Kaustinen

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