HemoGenyx Pharmaceuticals PLC (LON:HEMO) is making good progress in the laboratory on its two pioneering new treatments for blood cancer sufferers, it told shareholders at its annual meeting.
The biotech, which listed in October, is developing two therapies to improve the chances of survival of people requiring a bone marrow transplant.
READ: Hemogenyx aims for revolution in blood cancer treatment
CDX (a novel bispecific antibody) is an alternative to the current chemotherapy and radiotherapy required in the pre-transplant stage.
HuPHEC (a new cell therapy), meanwhile, aims to improve the way in which bone marrow/hematopoietic stem cell transplants are performed and the treatment’s effectiveness.
Hemogenyx recently appointed LakePharma, the largest US-based biologics contract research organisation, to help speed up the CDX programme.
LakePharma brings the necessary integrated antibody engineering and bioproduction expertise for the preclinical development stages.
A Phase I trial is scheduled for 16 months.
WATCH: Hemogenyx Pharmaceuticals to revolutionise bone marrow transplants
The collaboration with the University of Oxford, meanwhile, if stimulating transplanted blood stem cells can produce healthy cells faster.
This work could lead to additional uses of the company's HuPHEC product and significantly improve the efficiency and safety of future bone marrow transplants.
Vladislav Sandler, Hemogenyx’s chief executive, said: “The appointment of LakePharma and collaboration with Oxford University represent significant steps towards our strategic goal of applying novel technologies to transform the lives of bone marrow transplant patients.“