LIfT BioSciences, a pre-clinical stage company moving into first-in-human trials with an allogeneic neutrophil progenitor based cell therapy, and Minaris Regenerative Medicine GmbH, a global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) provider for the cell and gene therapy industry, have formed a partnership for N-LIfT, LIfT’s first-in-class neutrophil progenitor based leukocyte infusion therapy for the treatment of various cancer indications, including pancreatic cancer, lung cancer and other solid tumors.

Under the terms of the agreement, Minaris, in conjunction with LIfT BioSciences will develop a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)-compliant manufacturing process to supply LIfT’s clinical trial programs in Europe, currently anticipated to start in Q1 2024.

N-LIfT is made from immunomodulatory alpha neutrophils committed myeloid progenitors (IMANp) that are manufactured ex vivo from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) of healthy donors who exhibit exceptional innate cancer killing properties.

According to the company, the unique mechanism of action of N-LIfT allows the product to work effectively through the innate immune pathway as well as activating multiple other factors of the adaptive immune system.

“Following very strong preclinical results, we are now moving into producing GMP grade product as we prepare for clinical trials early next year,” said Alex Blyth, CEO of LIfT BioSciences. “Our mission to destroy all solid tumors irrespective of where the tumour is or how it adapts is looking more and more achievable. We are confident that Minaris’ extensive track record in process development, clinical, and commercial manufacturing will generate a scalable and cost-effective GMP-process and accelerate our clinical readiness.”

Dusan Kosijer, CEO of Minaris Regenerative Medicine GmbH said: “We are excited about our partnership with LIfT BioSciences and to be contributing to scientific progress in a new field. We share LIfT’s enthusiasm about their unique IMANs and their demonstrated enhanced cytotoxic and immunomodulatory properties.”