8 November 2019
Melbourne, Australia: Sienna Cancer Diagnostics Ltd (ASX: SDX) (“Sienna” or “the Company”), a medical technology company developing and commercialising innovative In-Vitro Diagnostic (IVD) tests, has entered into an agreement with Melbourne-based VivaZome Therapeutics Pty Ltd (“VivaZome”) to assist in the development of a commercial and scalable purification process for VivaZome’s exosome-based therapies.
This will be the first potential therapeutic application of Sienna’s capture technology, EXO-NETTM. Sienna will provide EXO-NET beads which rapidly and specifically capture exosomes, potentially enabling the development of a commercial purification process for exosomes used in treatment therapies.
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.
VivaZome is developing a large-scale, advanced manufacturing process for exosome production and purification, and needs a highly efficient method for separation and concentration of exosomes in cell culture supernatant. Sienna’s EXO-NET platform has the potential to fufill this important step in the commercial development of therapeutic exosomes.
“We are excited to be playing a role in the development of this important therapeutic with VivaZome. Utilising EXO-NET in the commercial development of a therapeutic application highlights the versatility of Sienna’s Net Technology” said Sienna’s Chief Executive Officer, Carl Stubbings.
“VivaZome believes this an exciting opportunity to work with Sienna to develop an effective and scalable commercial process to bring therapeutic exosomes into routine use” said VivaZome’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr David Haylock.
Read full media release here: 191108 Vivazome Collaboration Agreement
For further information, please contact:
Carl Stubbings, CEO and Managing Director
Sienna Cancer Diagnostics Ltd
cstubbings@siennadiagnostics.com.au
Kyahn Williamson
WE Buchan
sienna@we-buchan.com
+61 3 8866 1200
About Sienna Cancer Diagnostics
Sienna Cancer Diagnostics Ltd is an Australian medical technology company with operations in the United States, Europe, Asia, Latin America and Australia. Sienna’s strengths lie in the identification, development and commercialisation of novel IVD technologies that satisfy an unmet clinical / market need. The Company has taken its first product, an IVD test for the biomarker hTERT, from research, through development, manufacturing, product registration, and market launch through a growing network of distribution partners.
The Company is focused on growing revenues from the existing product, increasing market access through new distribution partners, extending the applications for their hTERT test, and expanding their product offerings with the addition of new technologies into the product development pipeline. Sienna’s most recent technology acquisition was a unique technology for the capture and isolation of target analytes in liquid biopsy samples. The sample preparation technology, known as SIEN-NET™, can more accurately and rapidly prepare samples for the liquid biopsy testing of a range of clinically useful biomarkers including exosomes, lipids, proteins, and other molecular targets of interest.
About VivaZome
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
For further information about VivaZome, please contact:
Dr David Haylock, Chief Executive Officer
VivaZome Therapeutics Pty Ltd
David.haylock@vivazome.com
+61 439 617 657
Forward Looking Statements
This announcement may contain forward-looking statements, which include all matters that are not historical facts. These forward-looking statements speak only as at the date of this announcement. These statements, by their nature, are subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results, performances and achievements to differ materially from any expected future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. Without limitation, indications of, and guidance on, future earnings and financial position and performance are examples of forward-looking statements. No representation, warranty or assurance (express or implied) is given or made by Sienna that the forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are accurate, complete, reliable, or adequate or that they will be achieved or prove to be correct. Except for any statutory liability which cannot be excluded, each of Sienna, its related companies and their respective directors, employees and advisers expressly disclaim any responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the forward-looking statements and exclude all liability whatsoever (including negligence) for any direct or indirect loss or damage which may be suffered by any person as a consequence of any information in this presentation or any error or omission therefrom.
