LIfT BioSciences’ is receiving more investment, and has been accepted into Johnson & Johnson Innovation’s JLABS network.
LIfT BioSciences’ lead investor, Starbloom Capital, provided further investment into the company to accelerate LIfT’s R&D plans and progress N-LIfT, the company’s first-to-market anti-cancer innate cell therapy, (neutrophil only leukocyte infusion therapy) into clinical development by Q1 2024, within 15 months of demonstrating strong preclinical results.
The additional funds are being deployed to help tech transfer N-LIfT to good manufacturing practice standards for use in patients as LIfT BioSciences moves into clinical trials. N-LIfT works by effectively transferring the innate immunity that some people naturally have in their body from their stem cells, to cancer patients.
The treatment can potentially give cancer patients around 20 times the cancer killing ability they had been exhibiting themselves. N-LIfT can potentially overcome hurdles encountered by other cell therapies in the treatment of solid tumors.
LIfT BioSciences’ N-LIfT is allogeneic, straightforward to scale, cost effective and off-the-shelf. Its innate antigen-independent mechanism-of-action destroys tumor cells in any form or adaptation.
It is actively recruited into the tumor with excellent infiltration, is stable and capable of overcoming immunosuppressive tumor microenvironments.
Also, it is capable of recruiting the rest of the patient’s immune system to join the attack and thereby provide lasting immunity to that form of cancer.
LIfT BioSciences is also doubling down on investment into its second-generation product CAR-iN-LIfT after showing promising results in producing its Immuno-Modulatory Alpha Neutrophils (IMANs) from iPSCs, and with transducing genetically engineered CAR add-ins.
LIfT BioSciences’ CEO, Alex Blyth, said: “We have had an incredible year of great scientific advancements. I am delighted that we are now in a position to move N-LIfT into clinical trials by Q1 2024. I have also been astonished by how well the second-generation products are coming along. My intent is that we can get N-LIfT through clinical trials and to desperate patients as fast as possible as a broad therapy for eradicating most solid tumors.
“If we encounter issues with certain patient tumors, we will then deploy our second-generation product CAR-iN-LIfT to overcome these tumors too. I believe that by using our unique Alpha Neutrophil Platform, and portfolio of products, we will be able to destroy all solid tumors and overcome any challenges, so no patient’s needs go unanswered. I would like to sincerely thank my amazing team, investors and partners who have made all this possible.”
JLABS admission for LIfT BioSciences
LIfT BioSciences was also accepted as resident of Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JLABS @ BE. JLABS is a global network of open innovation ecosystems, enabling and empowering innovators to create and accelerate the delivery of life-enhancing health and wellness solutions to patients around the world.
As a leader in innovation, JLABS helps entrepreneurs in pharmaceutical, medical device, consumer, and health tech bring healthcare solutions to patients and consumers.