The Belfer Institute for Applied Cancer Science at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Evotec AG announced research collaboration aimed at discovering and commercializing novel cancer treatments based on epigenetic drug mechanisms. The goal of the collaboration is to validate emerging epigenetic targets for oncology indications and to demonstrate the drugability of the selected target families. Evotec, Dana-Farber and Dana-Farber's Belfer Institute for Applied Cancer Science will invest in enabling technologies, experimental target validation and the generation of chemical matter by leveraging existing expertise and platforms. The collaboration will be fuelled by substantial scientific contributions from the three organizations aligned on the objective to develop therapies that address unmet medical needs for cancer patients. Epigenetics is a rapidly evolving high potential field of pharmaceutical research, calling for close relationships between academia and biotechnology innovators. By combining the complimentary capabilities of Dana-Farber, the Belfer Institute for Applied Cancer Science and Evotec this collaboration is uniquely positioned to succeed.

BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics announced that Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Inc. has entered into an agreement to provide cGMP-compliant clean room facilities for production of BrainStorm's NurOwn(TM) stem cell candidate during its upcoming Phase II ALS trial in the USA. The company's Phase II trial, to be launched in the second half of 2013 pending FDA approval, will be conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital, the University of Massachusetts Hospital and the Mayo Clinic. The Connell and O'Reilly Cell Manipulation Core Facility at Dana-Farber will produce NurOwn for the MGH and UMass Hospital clinical sites. Results of a Phase I/II clinical study of BrainStorm's NurOwn technology in patients with ALS were recently presented at the 65(th) Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology. The data demonstrated a significantly slower decline in overall clinical and respiratory function, as measured by the ALS Functional Rating Score (ALSFRS-R) and Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) score respectively, in the six patients that received an intrathecal injection of the cells in the six months following treatment, as compared to the three months preceding treatment.

Xenetic Biosciences plc announced that it has signed a broad research agreement for OncoHist with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts.  Dana-Farber will be conducting extensive research on the Mode of Action of OncoHist in relation to its specific targeting of cells in the Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) indication as well as exploring OncoHist application in resistance-to-treatment scenarios. Xenetic sees this work as the commencement of a long-term commitment to OncoHist candidate development, leading ultimately to its clinical evaluation for Acute Myeloid Leukaemia in the USA after confirmation of its efficacy by SynBio LLC.