14 August 2019
Manufacturing development work begins at CSIRO
VivaZome Therapeutics is pleased to announce that esteemed cell therapy scientist Dr David Haylock has joined the company as Chief Scientific Officer. Dr Haylock will lead the scientific and technical programs at VivaZome as the company progresses the development of an angiogenic exosome therapy for ischemic conditions, and the development of large-scale manufacturing processes.
Dr Ian Nisbet, Chair of VivaZome Therapeutics said: “We are delighted that David has joined the VivaZome team. He brings a wealth of experience in cell biology, cell therapies and operational management based on his many years in senior scientific leadership roles at CSIRO, the Australian Stem Centre, the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Adelaide’s Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science. David will play a pivotal role in VivaZome’s quest to be a global leader in delivering safe, effective exosome therapies for debilitating conditions.”
Dr Haylock said: “Exosomes have tremendous potential as therapeutics and the science is developing rapidly. I’m excited to be joining the experienced team at VivaZome and looking forward to working with them and their various collaborators and expert service providers.”
In addition, as part of the VivaZome project supported by a $2.2m CRC-P grant, VivaZome has engaged CSIRO as an expert manufacturing research partner and service provider. Following the identification by VivaZome of certain preferred cell types for exosome generation, work has now commenced at CSIRO to assess, select and optimise bioreactor technology and to develop scalable separation and concentration strategies.
Dr Jack Ryan, Research Director for CSIRO’s Biomedical Manufacturing Program said, “Producing well characterised exosomes in large quantities is one of the major challenges to be overcome in the development of this exciting new class of therapies. CSIRO is pleased to be applying its advanced manufacturing research and development expertise to this challenge and to be working with VivaZome and its fellow CRC-P participants – La Trobe University and SeerPharma.”
For further information, contact:
Dr Ian Nisbet, Chair of VivaZome Therapeutics
ian.nisbet@vivazome.com
Phone: +61 (0) 431 709 121
VivaZome Therapeutics Pty Ltd
VivaZome Therapeutics Pty Ltd (ABN 59 602 230 964) is a privately-held Australian biotech company, with headquarters at the La Trobe University Technology Enterprise Centre. VivaZome was formed to develop and commercialise exosome-based therapies for debilitating and/or life-threatening disorders, with an initial focus on critical limb ischaemia (CLI).
CLI is a debilitating disease caused by reduced blood flow, most often in the legs. It affects more than 4 million people worldwide, with an estimated treatment cost of over $10B pa in the US alone. Existing treatments are largely surgical interventions including, in advanced disease, amputation. There is a huge need for new treatments, particularly pharmaceutical interventions to prevent or delay disease progression.
VivaZome is developing new technologies and generating intellectual property and proprietary materials that are applicable generically to exosome therapies. They will also underpin the Company’s development of angiogenic exosomes for the treatment of CLI.
The VivaZome team has extensive expertise in the development and commercialisation of biological therapies, together with a wide network of expert contacts in the Australian and global biotech community.
For more information, visit www.vivazome.com
Exosomes
Exosomes are small particles released by cells. They are a key effector in communication between cells and have the potential to become an off-the-shelf medicine without the technical problems of cell therapies. Currently exosomes are made at small scale – the VivaZome project aims to develop a large-scale, advanced manufacturing process for exosomes.
