Dr. Sean Lawler NewsThere was an article published in Futurity yesterday, November 17, 2022, entitled, "
Drug Crosses Blood-brain Barrier to Fight Glioblastoma in Mice."
The article describes a program headed by
Dr. Sean Lawler at Brown University in which glioblastoma is being treated in mice by a drug transported across the BBB by a macrocyclic cell-penetrating peptide.
Dr. Sean Lawler should be familiar to Bioasis shareholders. On July 21, 2015, Bioasis issued a press release stating that "
biOasis Technologies Inc. and Brigham and Women's Hospital Inc., Enter a Neuro-Oncology Research & Collaboration Agreement."
Dr. Lawler, then with Brigham and Women's Hospital, is heading up this newer program. (Brigham and Women's Hospital is a part of Harvard Medical School.)
I have not yet investigated macrocyclic cell-penetrating peptides so I can't offer an opinion about their use and efficacy, nor can I compare them to xB3.
The questions immediately arise about why Dr. Lawler is now using a macrocyclic cell-penetrating peptide instead of xB3. Was xB3 inadequate? Did time run out in the agreement between Bioasis and Brigham and Women's Hospital? Was the original agreement transferable to Brown University? Did Bioasis enter an oncology material transfer agreement with somebody else, preventing continued work with Dr. Lawler?
After the Texas Tech very dramatic success with MTf-TZM and breast cancer metastases in mice, what happened with xB3 and glioblastoma?
Perhaps a call to Dr. Lawler at Brown University is in order, but I suppose he's under a strict NDA to prevent the world (meaning, Bioasis shareholders) from learning anything about work with xB3.
Just another in a long line of magically fading agreements.
Bears watching...
jd