The company will use ranpirnase to target human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes genital warts

Inc (),a global biotechnology company, has completed the acquisition of Tamir Biotechnology Inc and its broad spectrum antiviral platform, ranpirnase.

The deal included cash and stock of roughly $21 million.

The company will use ranpirnase to target human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes genital warts. A topical version of ranpirnase was evaluated in Phase 1/2 clinical trials targeting genital warts, and it demonstrated a clear clinical effect and a good safety profile, the group noted..

READ: Orgenesis to acquire assets of Tamir Biotechnology and its anti-viral platform ranpirnase for $19M

Going forward, Orgenesis said it plans to move the program through a Phase 2b trial in the US. Additionally, the company will undergo a new clinical trial targeting anal dysplasia, a precusor to anal cancer driven by the HPV virus.

"We are pleased to have closed this transaction, as we believe that ranpirnase holds promise as a broad antiviral platform, CEO Vered Caplan said in a statement.

Ranpirnase has demonstrated clinical efficacy against HPV and other hard to target viruses based on its unique mechanism of action, killing the virus and modulating the immune system, as evidenced by preclinical activity against some of the world's most persistent viral threats. For this reason, we are aggressively pursuing a number of complementary approaches internally to maximize the potential of ranpirnase," he added.

Ranpirnase is a member of the superfamily of enzymes that cause the degradation of RNA and mediate biological activities, including cell death.

Germantown, Maryland-based Orgenesis is a vertically-integrated biopharmaceutical company with expertise in developing advanced cell therapies and manufacturing.

Contact Andrew Kessel at [emailprotected]

Follow him on Twitter @andrew_kessel

See original here:
Orgenesis closes acquisition of Tamir Biotechnology and its antiviral platform ranpiranse - Proactive Investors USA & Canada