Product Pipeline
Research & Development

Xenetic operates a productive research and development programme from its laboratory headquarters in London.  Here, we are continuously evaluating and developing new applications for our technology platforms, for example the liposomal delivery of cytotoxic anti-cancer compounds and lipid-based delivery systems for therapeutic nucleic acids, in particular siRNA.  In addition, we work on the development and optimisation of new product candidates for our PolyXen and ImuXen platforms.  Xenetic's scientists also work to improve and diversify our knowledge base by identifying and applying the most cutting edge methods and analyses to our technologies and processes.

 

Platform technology development

VesicALL®

Xenetic is developing VesicALL®, a highly efficient enabling technology for the formulation of anti-cancer treatment and other drugs using liposomal entrapment. It is particularly useful for the delivery of insoluble or highly toxic drugs as it can:

  • Reduce the toxicity of anti-cancer and other drugs by means of sustained release
  • Enable bolus injections instead of infusion
  • Reduce treatment costs by avoiding hospitalisation (by eliminating the risk of anaphylaxis)
  • Prolonging the active life of anti-cancer drugs in the blood circulation

The liposomal entrapment method used in VesicALL® allows sustained release of these toxic drugs away from the site of injection.  It also prolongs the active life of the drug in the blood circulation The liposome vehicles used in VesicALL® are similar in composition and structure to those used in ImuXen®.  They include phosphatidyl choline and cholesterol which are naturally found in the human body and have a long history of safe use in humans.

We currently have one experimental product candidate, LipoTaxen™ which is a proprietary liposomal formulation of Paclitaxel.  Paclitaxel is an anti-cancer drug used predominantly for the treatment of lung, breast and ovarian tumours.  Xenetic’s LipoTaxen™ is designed to allow rapid administration of Paclitaxel in a saline vehicle.  The ability to infuse the drug using saline avoids the potential for severe, and in some cases, life-threatening adverse reactions to the oil-based solvents and protein-based carriers used to deliver conventional Paclitaxel.

What is the potential market size for LipoTaxen™?

Paclitaxel is the active ingredient in a wide range of approved anti-cancer drug products that are used to treat many forms of cancer.  Sales of Taxol and other similar cytotoxic drugs generate global annual revenues of over US$600 million.

 

siRNA delivery

Xenetic's scientists are using liposomal technology to entrap small interfering RNA molecules (or siRNA) inside liposomes.  These liposomes can then be used to deliver the siRNA to tissues where they can function as gene modulating agents.  To date, the technology has generated proof-of-concept data demonstrating that liposomally-delivered siRNA can cause specific knock-down of gene function in selected tissues. 

Benefits of the Xenetic approach to siRNA delivery include:

  • Improved safety profile due to the use of non-toxic lipids
  • Compatibility with modified and un-modified siRNAs
  • Economic and simple manufacturing methods
  • IP protection

The siRNA drug delivery market is predicted to be worth in excess of US$20 billion by 2015.  Work is continuing in-house to further develop this technology.

 

Research collaborations

International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI)

We are working together with IAVI to investigate the utility of our liposomal vaccine antigen delivery system for the development of candidate vaccines that are effective against multiple HIV strains.  Our initial data demonstrated that our prototypic vaccine could induce antibodies that neutralised a number of different HIV strains.  We are now working to refine and further develop this formulation prior to a repeat of the immunogenicity study.  Results are due towards the end of 2011.

 

Gates Foundation

Under the auspices of the Grand Challenges in Global Health, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Xenetic have been awarded a US$100,000 grant to investigate the feasibility of developing a novel non-live polio vaccine to aid in the ongoing WHO Global Polio Eradication Initiative.  We are using our liposomal co-delivery technology to create a range of vaccine candidates and will compare their efficacy and immunogenicity against the current inactivated trivalent polio vaccine.  Promising candidates will be further investigated for their ability to induce antibodies that neutralise live polio virus. If the project is successful we will have the opportunity to apply for a follow-on grant of up to US$1million.

 

Research Projects

Xenetic is also working with a number of un-named pharma, biotech and academic groups using our PolyXen and ImuXen technologies to look at the feasibility of developing new drugs and vaccines in areas as diverse as veterinary biologics, human viral diseases and therapeutic monoclonal antibodies.