Genisphere and University Hospitals Collaborate on Novel Pancreatic Cancer Treatments

HATFIELD, Pa and CLEVELAND, Ohio – 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.”