Genisphere And University Hospitals Collaborate On Novel Pancreatic Cancer Treatments

Hatfield, PA  and Cleveland, OH /PRNewswire/ - Genisphere LLC and University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center announced a partnership to study and develop unique strategies to treat pancreatic cancer. According to their agreement, investigators will optimize 3DNA®-based therapeutics designed to target and kill pancreatic tumors. Projects will include delivering a variety of therapeutic cargos, including small molecules and siRNA, formulated with pancreatic tumor-targeting molecules on Genisphere's 3DNA® nanocarrier.

Jordan Winter, MD, Chief of the Division of Surgical Oncology at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center and Director of Surgical Services at UH Seidman Cancer Center, is the lead researcher on the project. He said "My lab studies the harsh, nutrient-deprived microenvironment of pancreatic cancer to exploit metabolic vulnerabilities. By specifically targeting these hypoxic pathways in a multifaceted approach, we can shut down tumor progression. I see our work with Genisphere leading us down a path to the clinic, and commercial development of a lead candidate for the treatment of pancreatic cancer."

Genisphere's Chief Science Officer, Bob Getts, stated, "We are eager to take the next step from prior data generated together, to investigate alternative strategies for pancreatic cancer treatment. Dr. Winter has strong rationale and evidence for disrupting multiple points along the same biological pathway using different therapeutic molecules and Genisphere has a wide breath of success adapting the 3DNA platform to various modalities:  bispecifics, siRNA, small drugs.  Therefore we are aligned in this multifaceted strategy and by combining capabilities and expertise we can jointly develop a commercial asset, one will be something we take into the clinic."

About Genisphere
Genisphere LLC is the provider of the 3DNA® platform for targeted drug delivery. 3DNA® is a nanoscale, multivalent scaffold made from proprietary, synthetic DNA formed in a flexible, branched structure. 3DNA® nanocarriers are engineered and crosslinked to form a stable architecture while maintaining the biocompatibility of the nucleic acid building blocks, and demonstrate efficacy and safety with a variety of drug cargos across multiple indications. Genisphere's technology is IP-protected and fully customizable to deliver small molecules, biologics, and nucleic acids with precise specificity enabled by multivalent targeting via antibodies, peptides and other molecular entities. Genisphere leverages a collaborative model to advance its 3DNA® drug delivery platform, and seeks additional partnerships with biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies to improve efficacy and reduce toxicity. Genisphere is also advancing its own lead programs based on 3DNA® nanotechnology. For more information, please visit Genisphere.com.

About University Hospitals / Cleveland, Ohio
Founded in 1866, University Hospitals serves the needs of patients through an integrated network of 18 hospitals, more than 50 health centers and outpatient facilities, and 200 physician offices in 16 counties throughout northern Ohio. The system's flagship academic medical center, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, located in Cleveland'sUniversity Circle, is affiliated with Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. The main campus also includes University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, ranked among the top children's hospitals in the nation; University Hospitals MacDonald Women's Hospital, Ohio's only hospital for women; University Hospitals Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute, a high-volume national referral center for complex cardiovascular procedures; and University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, part of the NCI-designated Case Comprehensive Cancer Center. UH is home to some of the most prestigious clinical and research programs in the nation, including cancer, pediatrics, women's health, orthopedics, radiology, neuroscience, cardiology and cardiovascular surgery, digestive health, transplantation and urology. UH Cleveland Medical Center is perennially among the highest performers in national ranking surveys, including "America's Best Hospitals" from U.S. News & World Report. UH is also home to Harrington Discovery Institute at University Hospitals – part of The Harrington Project for Discovery & Development. UH is one of the largest employers in Northeast Ohio with 28,000 physicians and employees.

Advancing the Science of Health and the Art of Compassion is UH's vision for benefitting its patients into the future, and the organization's unwavering mission is To Heal. To Teach. To Discover. Follow UH on Facebook @UniversityHospitals and Twitter @UHhospitals. For more information, visit UHhospitals.org.

https://www.uhhospitals.org