Selexis SA and Hoba Therapeutics have entered into an agreement to advance the development of Hoba’s clinical candidate HB-086 (rhMeteorin) for the treatment of peripheral neuropathic pain. Selexis will use its SUREtechnology Platform to develop a stable, high-performance research cell bank (RCB) expressing HB-086, an endogenous protein found only in the nervous system. Hoba is working with Selexis to advance HB-086 into the clinic as part of a consortium of national and international partners funded by the Innovation Fund Denmark. 

“It’s been fulfilling to work with Hoba as a cell line development partner that’s been able to successfully express viable levels of HB-086 in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells,” said Marco Bocci, PhD, DPharm, Selexis vice president, licensing and business development. “We’re honored to be a part of the consortium working to move HB-086 into the clinic with the goal of making it available to physicians for the eventual treatment of patients. This population is in dire need of better treatment options and it’s exciting to have the opportunity to contribute to the next generation of pain management drugs.”

Selexis’ modular SUREtechnology Platform facilitates the rapid, stable production of virtually any recombinant protein and provides seamless integration of the biologics development continuum, spanning discovery to commercialization. 

“Cell line developers utilizing more traditional approaches lack the benefits of Selexis’ technology and expertise, which we needed to advance HB-086. Selexis was able to overcome the challenges of expressing HB-086 and develop a research cell bank that makes it possible for us to enter clinical study quickly – and that’s great news given that many individuals experience debilitating pain,” said Hoba Therapeutics’ chief executive officer Kenneth Petersen, MD, PhD. “It is our mission to introduce treatments that will bring relief to all patients who suffer from neuropathic pain without the risk of addiction – a benefit to themselves and society. Selexis is instrumental in helping us achieve this.”