Mount Sinai and Harbour BioMed Collaborate to Advance Novel Biotherapies for the Treatment of Cancer and Coronavirus COVID-19
Collaboration combines Harbour BioMed’s proprietary H2L2 Harbour Mice® platform for fully human monoclonal antibody generation with Mount Sinai’s translational medical research expertise.
Mount Sinai Health System and Harbour BioMed (HBM) have entered into a multi-year, multifaceted collaboration to develop novel, fully human antibodies for the treatment and prevention of various diseases including oncology and immunology.
The collaboration will also utilize the H2L2 Harbour Mice® platform to generate monoclonal antibodies against the coronavirus SARS CoV 2 – COVID-19 (commonly known as COVID-19).These fully human monoclonal antibodies could be used therapeutically for people who have been exposed to the virus, or prophylactically for individuals with a high risk of exposure, such as healthcare workers. The antibodies have the potential to prevent spread of the virus by blocking infection of cells.
“We are pleased to be able to collaborate with HBM at this time and leverage our experience in therapeutic antibody generation as well as the viral expertise of the Microbiology Department with the unique human antibody producing mice from Harbour,” said Professor Thomas Moran, PhD, Director, Center for Therapeutic Antibody Development (CTAD) at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
“This is a unique collaboration that will give HBM access to Mount Sinai’s innovative research driven from its clinical practices. The agreement demonstrates HBM’s commitment to develop novel medicines and foster fast-track innovative research. We will push the boundaries of science and the development of new medicines that will ultimately translate into better treatments for patients,” said Jingsong Wang, MD, PhD, Founder, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of HBM.
“The relationship with HBM is yet another opportunity for Mount Sinai to develop new treatments for significant diseases and conditions,” said Erik Lium, PhD, President, Mount Sinai Innovation Partners. “This work will bring Mount Sinai’s innovation ecosystem one step closer to the drug development process.”
About Mount Sinai Innovation Partners
Mount Sinai Innovation Partners (MSIP) is responsible for driving the real-world application and commercialization of Mount Sinai discoveries and inventions, and the development of research partnerships with industry. Our aim is to translate discoveries and inventions into health care products and services that benefit patients and society. MSIP is accountable for the full spectrum of commercialization activities required to bring Mount Sinai inventions to life. These activities include evaluating, patenting, marketing and licensing new technologies building research, collaborations and partnerships with commercial and nonprofit entities, material transfer and confidentiality, coaching innovators to advance commercially relevant translational discoveries, and actively fostering an ecosystem of entrepreneurship within the Mount Sinai research and health system communities. For more information, please visit www.ip.mountsinai.org.
About Harbour BioMed
Harbour BioMed is a global, clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapeutics in the fields of immuno-oncology and inflammatory diseases. The company is building its proprietary pipeline through internal R&D programs, collaborations with co-discovery and co-development partners and select acquisitions.
The company's internal discovery programs are centered around its two patented transgenic mouse platforms (Harbour Mice®) for generating both fully human monoclonal antibodies and heavy chain only antibodies (HCAb) based immune cell engager (HBICETM) bispecific antibodies. Harbour BioMed also licenses the platforms to companies and academic institutions. The company has operations in Cambridge, Massachusetts; Rotterdam, The Netherlands; and Suzhou & Shanghai, China.
About the Mount Sinai Health System
Mount Sinai Health System is one of the nation’s leading integrated academic health systems and one of the largest in the New York metropolitan area. Its comprehensive system includes seven hospitals, more than 400 outpatient practices, over 600 research and clinical laboratories, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and the Mount Sinai Phillips School of Nursing. Together, the Health System comprises approximately 48,000 employees, more than 9,000 physicians, and 8,600 nurses.
As a leading learning health system, Mount Sinai combines clinical expertise with scientific discovery to improve patient care while training the next generation of health care and biomedical leaders. The Health System provides care across every stage of life, from prenatal care through geriatrics, while advancing personalized medicine through artificial intelligence, data science, and biomedical research.
Mount Sinai is consistently recognized among the nation’s leading academic health systems for patient care, research, and education. The Mount Sinai Hospital is ranked No. 1 in New York by Newsweek and No. 5 on the magazine’s World’s Best Hospitals list. The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai ranks No. 11 among U.S. medical schools and No. 1 among freestanding medical schools for National Institutes of Health funding, reflecting the strength of its scientific enterprise and leadership in biomedical research.
