Generally interested
Innovative life-saving solutions are urgently needed for patients with cancer, their families and caregivers dealing with re-emerging disease or disease refractory to conventional therapy. Recent breakthroughs in immunotherapy of cancer show early promise as part of such solutions.
One such therapy involves use of immune cells called Natural Killer (NK) cells. Glycostem focuses on NK cells as it works with patients and caregivers to develop innovative treatments to cancer. Glycostem's objective is to improve clinical outcomes via NK cell immunotherapy and to offer broader access to efficient treatment, when no alternative option is otherwise available to patients with cancer.
Natural Killer cancer therapeutics
Glycostem is focused on developing first and next generation cancer therapeutics based on NK cells. NK cells play a key role in the response of the immune system for fighting cancer in the body. When the cells of a patient’s immune system are not strong enough to fight cancer cells, the infusion of cells collected from a donor may contribute to a better response of the immune system. Blood collected from umbilical cord at birth, at the time of delivery is a safe and widely available basis for NK cells preparation.
oNKord® is the name of Glycostem’s first generation clinical grade NK cell preparation for infusion. oNKord® is an off-the-shelf investigational cell therapy expanded and activated ex vivo for the treatment of patients with hematologic malignancies like acute myeloid leukemia or multiple myeloma and also for the treatment of patients with solid tumors. oNKord® is available only for patients enrolled in clinical trials.
Glycostem is conducting various innovative projects at pre-clinical stage for the design of next generation genetically-engineered NK cells based on its proprietary off-the-shelf NK cell technology platform. These products are designed to target some molecular biomarkers and thus improve NK cell therapy safety and efficacy in patients with various type of cancer. Molecular targeting is performed through genetic engineering of Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) NK cells or T-Cell Receptor (TCR) NK cells.
The Glycostem pipeline
During our phase I safety study we verified our lead product oNKord® (unmodified NK cells) to be a safe therapeutic agent in the field of cellular immunotherapy. Currently we are developing our second product: Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR)-engineered NK cells. This second-generation product has dedicated functionality and enhances tumor targeting and prolongs persistence. We are currently initiating pivotal clinical trials in:
- AML (phase I/II a)
- MM (phase II a)
About Glycostem
Over the last decade we have studied the role of NK cells in cancer treatment extensively and pioneered, developed and optimized our in-house NK cell production processes. A growing number of commercial and academic partners have chosen Glycostem because of our expertise with NK cells and their production.
Our organization is guided by a highly experienced Management Team and Board of Directors and supported by a Scientific Advisory Board that includes renowned experts in the field of innovative cancer therapeutics.
Moreover, Glycostem is a part of a strong scientific network with academic and pharmaceutical partnerships. Our research and development laboratories and manufacturing facilities are located in Pivot Science Park in Oss, Netherlands, which are governed by broad and robust intellectual property protection.
Career
If you want to become part of a team of world-class experts researching, developing or producing the medicines of tomorrow then we want to meet you! Are you interested in joining us in making cancer a manageable disease? Check our current job openings on our website.