Neurophth Therapeutics and Hopstem Biotechnology Partner to Develop Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Therapies for Ocular Diseases
Neurophth Biotechnology and Hopstem Biotechnology announced a strategic partnership aiming to provide human iPSC-derived cell therapy for ocular diseases.
The partnership leverages Neurophth’s experience in global gene/cell therapy drugs development and understanding of ophthalmic diseases to complement Hopstem’s expertise in GMP manufacturing and quality assurance of iPSC-derived clinical cell products to provide next-generation ocular treatments, according to a company news release.
Under the terms of agreement, Hopstem Biotechnology will receive upfront and milestone payments for the development of candidate cell product for agreed retinal degenerative disorder. Neurophth will have the option to license the candidate product and will be responsible for development and commercialization of the licensed product. In addition, Neurophth agreed to license Hopstem’s iPSC reprogramming patent and GMP iPSC line with additional payments to Hopstem at different product development stages. According to the agreement, Hopstem will also share part of the product sales.
“This collaboration exemplifies Neurophth’s long-term commitment to advancing the field of ophthalmic treatment as we continue to expand and progress our innovative pipeline of ocular candidates,” Bin Li, MD, PhD, Founder and Chairman of Neurophth Therapeutics, said in the news release. “Combining the methods of stem cell technology, induced pluripotent stem cells is a promising technology that can offer an extraordinary potential for regenerative therapy, disease modeling and drug screening.”
“We are very excited by this partnership with Neurophth. The human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) line we developed is made by transforming the skin of a healthy donor into stem cells that are capable of multiplying and becoming any type of cell in the human body, meeting GMP requirements. Thanks to our iPSC-derived clinical cell product manufactory and quality platform developed since 2019, we are able to speed up ocular cell product development with Neurophth, the leading ocular therapy company in the field. Together, our aim is to offer safe and effective regenerative medicine with hiPSC-derived cells for reversing the progression of ocular diseases and restoring vision for patients,” Jing Fan, PhD, Founder and CEO of Hopstem Biotechnology.
“iPSCs holds the promise for treatment of retinal degenerative disorders where AAV-mediated gene therapy is unreachable,” said Alvin Luk, PhD, MBA, CEO at Neurophth. “Hopstem is one of the most respected pioneers in the field of iPSC translational medicine. We are confident that their technology and expertise, combined with Neurophth’s deep knowledge in ophthalmology and drug development, has the potential to unlock future generations of gene/cell therapy treatments for patients.”