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Iowa’s bad election bill will stifle early voting, micromanage auditors – The Gazette
Posted: February 28, 2021 at 10:31 pm
The Bad Election Bill is here and its bad.
House File 590 and Senate File 413, sponsored by Republican Rep. Bobby Kaufmann and Sen. Roby Smith, would cut early voting mail and in person to 21 days, down from 29 last year and from 40 in 2016.
In response, my senator, Democratic leader Zach Wahls, introduced a bill that would expand the early voting window to 45 days, which is consistent with what overseas voters get under federal law. Its going nowhere, of course, but it makes the point.
Other lowlights of the Republican bill include a lot of micromanaging of auditors to address imaginary problems like dead voters or auditors not doing list maintenance.
Voters would be moved to inactive status, the first step to cancellation, after missing just one general election, not two. Skip one governor election, which about 20 percent of voters do, and the cancellation clock starts ticking. And the inactivation happens before youre even notified by mail.
In a nod to the Libertarians, petition requirements to get on the ballot are once again raised. This is about a persistent Libertarian candidate has pulled just enough votes away from Republican David Young to allow Democrat Cindy Axne to win two terms in Congress with under 50 percent of the vote.
Requirements for nominating convention attendance are also increased, to a point where even the major parties would have difficulty seating the 25 delegates that would be required to fill a legislative district vacancy. Ill bet most legislators dont have 25 active county central committee members in their districts.
Satellite voting would, to my surprise, not be completely banned, but auditors could not set sites on their own. Only petitioned sites would be allowed. Thatll increase costs. Often, people ask nicely for a satellite before petitioning, and we schedule the three or four hours they really want. A petition obligates the auditor to six hours.
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The bill would eliminate the use of conventional postmarks to decide if a ballot is on time, and instead would only allow intelligent bar codes. Overseas mail does not have these bar codes.
The first day to request a ballot would move to 70 days before the election, which was the law through 2002. From 2004 to 2016 there was no first day to request a ballot. Then it was moved to 120 days in 2017.
My professional and political feelings differ here. In a college town where every lease turns over on Aug. 1, way-too-soon requests are a problem, and were a big problem in 2004. I was living in a high turnover apartment complex that year, and we were doorknocked in June. People request the ballot then move, and we mail the ballot to a bad address. So I liked the old 70-day law.
But when combined with later laws which require request forms to be handed in within 72 hours, 70 days would kill summer door knocking for absentee requests, which of course (in normal non-COVID years) Democrats rely on more than Republicans.
In an amendment, the bill also closes polls an hour earlier at 8 p.m.
This bill could have been even worse, but its bad enough.
Twenty-one days is bad for in person early voting. It will mean longer lines and bigger crowds; 21 days is absolutely unacceptable for mailed voting. It means anyone who is out of town or shut in who has any kind of problem mail delay, spoiled ballot, any problem at all is just out of luck. Twenty-nine days was barely enough time to fix these problems. We dont even learn about mail delivery problems for several days. Twenty-one days also compresses all the mailing out into a week and a half, burdening both the post offices and the election staffs.
This bill is on the fast track to passage, but there may still be time to get some small improvements. Auditors of both parties across the state are against this. We simply want to do our jobs and help voters, and this proposal makes that harder.
John Deeth lives in Johnson County. He writes at jdeeth.blogspot.com
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Letter: School voucher programs benefit the wealthy – The Republic
Posted: at 10:31 pm
From: Kathleen Leason
Columbus
Rep. Ryan Lauer, our state representative, co-sponsored and supported House Bill 1005 that expands private school tuition assistance.
The bill increases income eligibility to a family of four earning $145,000 annually in 2022. Its worth noting that contributions to a tax-preferred account can also be used for a childs private school education up to $10,000 per year, further benefiting high-income households.
One argument Rep. Lauer gives to justify his support of this bill is that it will expand school choice for more families.
I have to askhow probable is this statement?
A quick survey of the private schools in Bartholomew County indicates there are roughly 1,500 elementary school students attending private schools. Most of these schools give enrollment priority to households who already have family members enrolled.
So, who will benefit from an expansion of the state subsidy? Will these schools undertake building projects to expand facilities to accommodate all students who wish to enroll? Probably not. It seems that this is purely a deeper subsidy to the families who already have students attending the school.
HB 1005 passed in the House last week and will move to the Senate for consideration next. Lets hope our state senators will see this bill for what it truly is: a welfare program for the wealthy.
Its interesting that Rep. Lauer began his political career as a Libertarian. Primary ideas in the Libertarian platforms are less government and minimal taxes. My, how he has drifted.
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Sorting Out Natural and Organic – Progressive Grocer
Posted: at 10:15 pm
A focus on health promotion and disease prevention has emerged as not just a temporary movement over the past year in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, but also as a permanent shift in long-term wellness and nutrition.A number of consumers have heightened interest in improving their diets and choosing foods that prevent or treat chronic conditions, including diabetes, obesity, cancer, kidney disease and high blood pressure. Particular attention is being given to natural and organic foods. Associates at your store, or on the regional or corporate level, can help alleviate customer confusion by answering some key questions to improve the shopping experience as customers navigate natural and organic offerings.
The term natural doesnt have a formal definition as it applies to food; instead, theres a long-standing implication in the usage of the term. Natural is meant to mean that nothing synthetic or unnatural has been included in, or added to, a food that wouldnt normally be expected to be in that product. Organic, however, indicates a USDA Certified Organic product that has been produced under approved methods that include certain cultural, biological and mechanical practices. Organic production aims to promote ecological balance and conserve biodiversity. Certain practices arent allowed in organic practice, such as the use of synthetic fertilizers and genetic engineering (Products of this process are known as genetically modified organisms, or GMOs).
Each year, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) releases a list of its top 15 fresh conventional (non-organic) produce picks, Clean Fifteen, which contain the lowest amounts of pesticide residues, alongside a list of 12 conventional fresh fruits and vegetables, Dirty Dozen, with the highest amounts of pesticide residues. The EWG encourages consumers to choose fewer foods on the Dirty Dozen list (examples include strawberries, spinach and kale), while being less critical of foods selected for the Clean Fifteen list (examples include avocados, sweet corn, and pineapple). However, the USDA Pesticide Data Program found in 2018 that more than 99% of products it sampled had residues well below safety standards established by the Environmental Protection Agency. The Produce for Better Health Foundation has questioned EWGs motives, noting that arousing unnecessary fear about pesticide use is counterproductive to increasing Americans intake of fruits and vegetables, which is a well-recognized public health concern.
The general consensus is that the healthfulness of natural, organic and conventional products is highly comparable. The health benefits derived from food produced through various agricultural methods makes minimal impact to nutrition. Some studies cite modestly higher amounts of phenolic compounds (beneficial plant compounds) in organic produce, and marginally increased omega-3 fatty acids in dairy, but many other studies come up short on determining a clear difference. Customers may be surprised to learn that much of the attention that eating organic has received regarding its impact on nutrition benefit is largely unfounded.
Its well established that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, low-fat dairy (or fortified soy alternatives) and whole grains is protective to our health. This is more explicitly outlined in Decembers release of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-25.
Natural and organic foods should be framed as a choice to the consumer, perhaps if they feel strongly about avoiding certain characteristics of food, such as some synthetic substances, or in supporting particular food production practices. Natural, organic and conventional foods are all produced safely, and a variety of wholesome choices from any of these agricultural methods can enhance the quality of our diets.
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Clemson researcher seeks to make peanuts and wheat easier to digest – SCNow
Posted: at 10:15 pm
In addition to wheat and peanut, other foods listed in the Big 8 food allergens are milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts and soy.
Wheat consumption can cause celiac disease, a gastrointestinal disease that could grow into an autoimmune disorder. For people with peanut allergies, eating peanuts can cause mild symptoms such as a runny nose, sneezing, or hives to severe symptoms such as shortness of breath, dizziness, or swelling of the tongue or lips. Individuals with peanut allergies generally are allergic to tree nuts and legume lupin. The only effective therapy known for these foodborne disorders is strictly avoiding eating wheat and/or peanut, as well as products containing these foods.
People with food allergies can try to avoid these foods, but accidental exposure to an allergen is possible, he said.
For some people, avoiding wheat and peanuts is not easy due to geographical, cultural or economic reasons. Finding affordable ways to make wheat and peanuts available for all is very important.
During their wheat research, the researchers are focused on a group of proteins called gluten. Glutens are proteins found in grains like wheat, rye and barley. When flour is mixed with water, gluten proteins give flour a glue-like consistency, making the dough elastic and giving bread the ability to rise when baked. Gluten also provides a chewy, satisfying texture.
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Global Genetic Engineering Market Research Analysis Including Growth Factors, Types And Application By Regions From 2021 To 2027 Express Keeper -…
Posted: at 10:15 pm
Perfect Market Insights recently released new research report name as Genetic Engineering Market. This report provide a complete analysis, which studies the Genetic Engineering industry coverage, current market competitive status, and market outlook and forecast by 2027. This Genetic Engineering report deals a comprehensive environment of the breakdown for the Global Genetic Engineering Market. The Genetic Engineering Industry estimates delivered in the report are the result of comprehensive secondary research, primary interviews and in-house expert reviews. These market evaluation have been consider by Examining the impact of various social, political and economic factors along with the current market dynamics affecting the Global Genetic Engineering Market growth.
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Top Key Players covered in this Report,
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.GenScriptAmgen Inc.Genentech, Inc.Merck KGaAHorizon Discovery Group plcSangamo Therapeutics, Inc.Transposagen Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.OriGene Technologies, Inc.
Research report on the global Genetic Engineering Market offers all-encompassing analysis of recent and upcoming state of this industry which also analyzes several growth strategies for the market growth. The Genetic Engineering report also focuses on the comprehensive study of the industry environment, and industry chain structure extensively. The Genetic Engineering report also sheds light on major factors including leading vendors, growth rate, production value, and key regions.
Genetic Engineering Market Fragment by Areas, regional examination covers:United States, Canada, Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia, Switzerland, Sweden, Poland, , China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, India, Taiwan, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Brazil , Argentina, Columbia, Chile, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Rest of the World.
The Genetic Engineering Market report introduces the industrial chain analysis, downstream buyers, and raw material sources along with the correct comprehensions of market dynamics. The Genetic Engineering Market report is articulated with a detailed view of the Global Genetic Engineering industry including Global production sales, Global revenue, and CAGR. Additionally, it offers a potential insights about Porters Five Forces including substitutes, buyers, industry competitors, and suppliers with genuine information for understanding the Global Genetic Engineering Market.
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Artificial SelectionCloningGene SplicingOthers
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AgricultureBt- CottonGolden RiceOthersMedical IndustryRecombinant ProteinsRecombinant AntibodiesOthersForensic Science
The Genetic Engineering Market study projects viability analysis, SWOT analysis, and various other information about the leading companies operating in the Global Genetic Engineering Market provide a complete efficient account of the viable environment of the industry with the aid of thorough company profiles. However, Genetic Engineering research examines the impact of current market success and future growth prospects for the industry.
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The following is the TOC of the report:
Get Full Table of Content @ https://perfectmarketinsights.com/report/global-genetic-engineering-market-research-report-by-product-type-end-user-applicationregions-and-countries#table-of-contents
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Clemson researcher seeks to make peanuts, wheat easier to digest – Sumter Item
Posted: at 10:15 pm
BY CLEMSON COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND LIFE SCIENCES
FLORENCE- Peanuts and wheat are nutritional powerhouses but contain protein allergens that can be detrimental for some people. However, a Clemson University researcher thinks that if he can target these proteins, he can breed for safer, low-allergenic varieties.
"Wheat and peanut are primary sources of energy and proteins, specifically to populations in the most populated areas of the world," Sachin Rustgi told scientists during the recent online meeting of the American Society of Agronomy, the Crop Science Society of America and the Soil Science Society of America. "On the flip side, these crops are listed among the 'Big 8' major food allergens by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration."
Rustgi and his colleagues are using plant breeding and genetic engineering to develop less allergenic varieties of peanuts and wheat. Their goal is to increase options for people with allergies to these foods. His research is conducted at Clemson's Advanced Plant Technology Program housed at the Pee Dee Research and Education Center.
"Our research primarily focuses on the development of genetic resources to breed safe crops for people experiencing these foodborne disorders," said Rustgi, an assistant professor of molecular breeding for the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences.
In addition to wheat and peanut, other foods listed in the Big 8 food allergens are milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts and soy.
Wheat consumption can cause celiac disease, a gastrointestinal disease that could grow into an autoimmune disorder. For people with peanut allergies, eating peanuts can cause mild symptoms such as a runny nose, sneezing or hives to severe symptoms such as shortness of breath, dizziness or swelling of the tongue or lips. Individuals with peanut allergies generally are allergic to tree nuts and legume lupin. The only effective therapy known for these foodborne disorders is strictly avoiding eating wheat and/or peanut, as well as products containing these foods.
"People with food allergies can try to avoid these foods, but accidental exposure to an allergen is possible," he said.
For some people, avoiding wheat and peanuts is not easy because of geographical, cultural or economic reasons. Finding affordable ways to make wheat and peanuts available for all is very important.
During their wheat research, the researchers are focused on a group of proteins, called gluten. Glutens are proteins found in grains like wheat, rye and barley. When flour is mixed with water, gluten proteins give flour a glue-like consistency, making the dough elastic and giving bread the ability to rise when baked. Gluten also provides a chewy, satisfying texture.
The two main protein types in gluten are glutenins and gliadins. Glutenins are responsible for dough strength and elasticity. Gliadins are essential for giving bread the ability to rise and are thought to cause most of the negative health effects. Gluten-degrading enzymes, or glutenases, are needed to break down glutens in foods to make these foods easier for people to digest.
While many people like the taste and texture gluten gives food, this protein complex also causes celiac disease, which, if left unchecked, can lead to an autoimmune disorder. Other people may experience non-celiac wheat sensitivity with myriad intestinal and extra intestinal symptoms.
Plant breeding
Researchers have tried to breed varieties of wheat with lower gluten content. The challenge, in part, lies in the complicated nature of gluten genetics. The information needed to make gluten is embedded in the DNA in wheat cells. To complicate matters even more, gluten isn't a single protein - it's a group of many different proteins. The instructions cells need in order to make the individual gluten proteins are contained within different genes.
In wheat, these gluten genes are distributed throughout a cell's DNA. Because so many portions of the DNA play a role in creating gluten, it is difficult for plant breeders to breed wheat varieties with lower gluten levels.
"When we started this research, a major question was if it would be possible to work on a characteristic controlled by so many genes," Rustgi said.
The situation is similar for peanuts. Peanuts contain 16 different proteins recognized as allergens.
"Not all peanut proteins are equally allergenic," Rustgi said. "Four proteins trigger an allergic reaction in more than half of peanut-sensitive individuals."
Just as the gluten genes in wheat, peanut allergen genes are spread throughout the peanut DNA.
"Targeting this many genes is not an easy task, even with current technology," Rustgi said.
Rustgi and the research team are testing many varieties of wheat and peanuts to find ones that are naturally less allergenic than others. Their hope is these low-allergenic varieties can be bred with crop varieties that have desirable traits, such as high yields or pest resistance. The goal is to develop low-allergenic wheat that can be grown commercially.
Gene editing
In addition to traditional plant breeding efforts, Rustgi also is using gene editing to reduce allergenic proteins in wheat and peanuts. The researchers use CRISPR-Cas12a gene-editing technology to make very precise changes to a cell's DNA. CRISPR is short for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats. Rustgi uses it to target gluten genes in wheat.
Genes targeted by the CRISPR technology are changed or mutated. The cells can no longer "read" these genes and make the specific proteins.
"Disrupting the gluten genes in wheat could yield wheat varieties with significantly lower levels of gluten," Rustgi said. "A similar approach would work in peanuts."
The researchers also are studying to understanding how gluten production is regulated in wheat cells. As it turns out, one protein serves as a "master regulator" for many gluten genes. This is important because disrupting this master regulator could lead to reduced amounts of gluten in wheat. Targeting a single gene is much easier than trying to disrupt the several gluten genes.
Wheat and peanuts are major sources of proteins for many, especially people living in resource-deprived conditions, Rustgi said. Developing wheat and peanut varieties with reduced allergen levels is key to providing safe food sources.
This work is supported by the South Carolina Peanut Board, the National Peanut Board, Life Sciences Discovery Fund and Clemson University. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent official views of the supporting entities.
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Biotech Star Checked Out Early From Career at Amgen – The Wall Street Journal
Posted: at 10:15 pm
In 1989, when she was 34, Kathy Wiltsey appeared headed for one of the top jobs in the biotechnology industry.
That year The Wall Street Journal listed 28 rising stars from around the world, all 45 years old or younger, who could be among the business leaders of tomorrow. Ms. Wiltsey, then marketing director at Amgen Inc., made the list, along with Larry Fink, now chief executive of BlackRock Inc., and Oprah Winfrey.
Instead of soaring into the CEO ranks, Ms. Wiltsey retired from Amgen nine years later, in 1998, the year she turned 43. Her stock options meant she had less need to work, and she wanted to slow down, hang out with her daughters, then ages 5 and 2, and do volunteer work to promote scientific education for children. She hired a bush pilot in Alaska to take her and her daughters to the most remote parts of Denali National Park.
There was another reason for her decision to retire early: Because her mother died of cancer at age 59, she thought her life might be short, too. Her husband, John LaValle, tried to dispel those forebodings.
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Biotech Star Checked Out Early From Career at Amgen - The Wall Street Journal
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Mars mission with a connection to Skye West Highland Free Press www.whfp.com – West Highland Free Press
Posted: at 10:15 pm
A former NASA engineer from Portree now has a presence on Mars following the successful touchdown last week of the rover Perseverance.
Alexander MacRaes name was inscribed onto the robotic crafts metal frame by the Lifeboat Foundation, a think-tank dedicated to tackling existential risks to humanity such as the misuse of genetic engineering and artificial intelligence. He is a member of its futurist advisory board and had previously been contracted to NASA in the field of micro-electronics and communication, aspects of which were used in Perseverance.
Mr MacRae (86) was born on a croft at Budhmor and was gifted his boarding pass by Eric Klien, chief executive of the Lifeboat Foundation.
One of their main interests is to establish a human colony like Elon Musk is also involved in, he told the Free Press. Perseverances mission is to search for signs of ancient life, and it was a nice gesture for them to engrave my name on it. It was very tense in the last seven minutes, but a great relief that the precision and teamwork paid off.
Perseverance is an upgraded version of the Curiosity rover, which landed on Mars in 2012. One of the engineers who worked on it was Alexander Nicolson Mr MacRaes neighbour in Budhmor.
The former Portree High School pupil moved to Canada to work for Pratt & Whitney designing gas turbine engines. He moved to California, where he still lives, in 2005 to work in NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Regarding his work on Curiosity, Mr Nicolson said: The amount of testing was incredible, we often even had to retest the equipment that was used to test components and assemblies of the rover.
The biggest challenge on something like this is working out what the worst conditions the rover might have to overcome will be, in terms of the temperatures and forces it is likely to meet.
They are such big projects though. Overall it takes roughly 2,000 staff, hundreds of supplier companies and many thousands of tests in chambers designed to represent the conditions in space.
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FDA retains oversight of genetically modified animals for therapeutics amid last-day Trump regulatory changes – pharmaceutical-technology.com
Posted: February 27, 2021 at 3:22 am
On former president Donald Trumps last day in office, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and US Department of Agriculture (USDA) agreed that oversight of genetically modified (GM) animals for food will move from the FDA to the USDA. The FDA, however, retains oversight of gene editing intended for any purpose other than agricultural use, including Bio/pharma and gene therapies. The Trump administrations decision to relax oversight of GM animals for food prioritises big businesses and the livestock industry, while overriding FDA scientists in decisions around GM animal use. The thenFDA commissioner Stephen Hahn expressed concerns about potential public health consequences of relaxing regulations around certain GM products. After the announcement he tweeted, FDA has no intention of abdicating our public health mandate. It is unclear whether President Bidens administration or the FDA commissioner to be nominated will support these regulatory changes to agricultural biotechnology.
A GM animal is one whose genetic material has been altered by adding, changing, or removing certain DNA sequences in a way that does not occur naturally. GM animals are in development for many potential uses in Bio/pharma, including for pharmaceutical drug production, as research models of human disease, and in xenotransplantation to make cells, tissues, or organs for transplantation into humans.
According to the GlobalData Pharma Intelligence Center Drugs database, several therapeutic recombinant biologic drugs are produced in transgenic (GM) animal expression systems, including four marketed drugs (Figure 1). In 2009, the FDA approved rEVO Biologics antithrombin (recombinant) produced in the milk of GM goats for patients who have a rare disease known as antithrombin (AT) deficiency. Pharmings Conestat alfa, a human recombinant C1 esterase inhibitor purified from the milk of GM rabbits, was approved by the FDA in 2014 for the treatment of hereditary angioedema. In 2015, the FDA approved Alexion Pharmaceuticals sebelipase alfa for a rare genetic disease known as lysosomal acid lipase (LAL) deficiency, produced in the egg whites of GM chickens. In 2019, the FDAs Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) approved a GM rabbit that produces the active ingredient of LFBs coagulation factor VIIa (recombinant). The therapeutic was approved in 2020 for the treatment and control of bleeding episodes occurring in adults and adolescents with haemophilia A or B with inhibitors. In addition, Pharming Group has one Phase III and two preclinical-stage candidates in development, which are produced using the companys transgenic rabbit platform.
Table 1: Marketed/Pipeline Pharmaceutical Drugs That Use Genetically Modified Animals for Production.
With new gene-editing techniques such as CRISPR-Cas9 making genetic engineering faster and cheaper, transgenic animals offer the potential to make the manufacturing of complex therapeutic proteins cheaper. Despite these advantages, however, progress in the field has been slow due to public concerns over GM animals, including the safety of products derived from these animals. In this regard, it restores confidence that the FDA will retain oversight of GM therapeutic products, amidst the proposed transfer of regulatory power over certain gene-edited animals.
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FDA retains oversight of genetically modified animals for therapeutics amid last-day Trump regulatory changes - pharmaceutical-technology.com
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Poseida Therapeutics Provides Update on Key Programs and Developments During R&D Day – PRNewswire
Posted: at 3:22 am
SAN DIEGO, Feb. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --Poseida Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: PSTX), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company utilizing proprietary genetic engineering platform technologies to create cell and gene therapeutics with the capacity to cure, today announced that the Company plans to highlight its clinical and preclinical pipeline progress during a virtual R&D Day to be held today, February 24, 2021 beginning at 10am ET.
"Over the past year, we have made tremendous progress as we continue to validate our novel technology platforms and advance our broad and deep clinical and preclinical programs," commented Eric Ostertag, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer. "During today's R&D Day, we will take a deep dive into Poseida's novel cell and genetic engineering platform technologies, differentiated CAR-T programs and innovative approaches to cell and gene therapy. We look forward to highlighting our progress to date, introducing a new potential pipeline product candidate, as well as several emerging discovery programs, and discussing our corporate strategy."
Specific highlights will include an early look at the ongoing P-PSMA-101 clinical trial; demonstration of the potential for single treatment cures with a completely non-viral nanoparticle-based gene therapy system; an extensive study of our Cas-CLOVER Site-Specific Gene Editing System demonstrating best-in-class gene editing specificity; and a look at our CAR-NK, and induced pluripotent stem cell, or iPSC, capabilities.
Key Program Highlights
Autologous CAR-T Update P-BCMA-101 is an autologous CAR-T product candidate in an ongoing Phase 1 dose expansion trial and Phase 2 trial in development for the treatment of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma to treat patients with multiple myeloma. Today's discussion will include data demonstrating the importance of T stem cell memory in CAR-T. The Company intends to provide an update on this program later in 2021.
P-PSMA-101 is a solid tumor autologous CAR-T product candidate in an ongoing Phase 1 dose escalation trial in development to treat patients with metastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer, or mCRPC.Today's presentation will include a case study of a patient with mCRPC treated with P-PSMA-101 at a dose of 0.25 x 10e6 cells/kg (~20 x 10e6 total cells) who showed a marked decrease in PSA expression levels of more than 50% in the first three weeks post treatment and is continuing on trial. The patient was reported to have Grade 1 CRS in the second week which was treated to resolution. The Company intends to provide an additional update on this program later in 2021.
Allogeneic CAR-T Update (including Cas-CLOVER off-target analysis) P-BCMA-ALLO1 is the Company's first allogeneic CAR-T product candidate in development for the treatment of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.The Company will present updated preclinical data and ongoing IND enabling work, with an expected filing in the first half of 2021. Data utilizing Cas-CLOVER, the Company's high-precision gene editing technology to eliminate knock out TCR and B2M to address alloreactivity in P-BCMA-ALLO1, will also be presented.
P-MUC1C-ALLO1 is the Company's allogeneic CAR-T product candidate currently in preclinical development, with the potential to treat a wide range of solid tumors, including breast and ovarian cancers. The Company will share updated preclinical data demonstrating complete tumor elimination in triple negative breast and ovarian cancer models.P-MUC1C-ALLO1 will be the first clinical product to be manufactured at Poseida's pilot manufacturing facility in San Diego, with an IND filing expected by the end of 2021.
piggyBac Delivery in vivo for Liver Directed Gene Therapies P-OTC-101 is the Company's first liver-directed gene therapy program for in vivo treatment of urea cycle disease caused by congenital mutations in the OTC gene, a condition characterized by high unmet medical need. Preclinical data from ongoing IND enabling studies will be presented by Bruce Scharschmidt, M.D., an expert in OTCdeficiency and a consultant to Poseida.
Denise Sabatino, Ph.D., a recognized expert in Factor VIII therapy for Hemophilia, will present the Company's piggyBac Factor VIII program for hemophilia A, P-FVIII-101, delivered by Poseida's proprietary nanoparticle technology.Nanoparticle plus piggyBac delivery of Factor VIII demonstrates near normal levels of Factor VIII expression in juvenile mice with a single treatment in preclinical models.
Emerging Programs TCR-T: Poseida's TCR-T platform combines the Company's piggyBac DNA delivery and Cas-CLOVER gene editing technologies in order to generate effective and functional off-the-shelf TCR-T product candidates with a high percentage of highly desirable Tscm cells.The TCR-T platform could be leveraged to increase the number of potential indications in oncology and beyond, including infectious diseases and autoimmunity.
Anti-cKit CAR-T: Safer non-genotoxic conditioning regimens are potentially possible with the Company's anti-cKit CAR-T program for hematopoietic stem cell, or HSC, conditioning, which may reduce transplant morbidity and mortality, resulting in better outcomes and a greatly expanded number of potential indications. Data include results from preclinical experiments demonstrating the ability of anti-cKit CAR-T cells to deplete human stem cell grafts in NSG mice and to prolong survival in a mouse model of AML.
Genetically Modified HSCs:HSCscan be modified via the piggyBac DNA Delivery System and/or the Cas-CLOVER Site-Specific Gene Editing System. Today's presentation will show data confirming that genetically modified HSCs engraft in the bone marrow and demonstrate long-term persistence. CAR-HSC has the potential to be a highly effective CAR-T approach, as it theoretically could provide an inexhaustible supply of effector cells to eradicate tumor and can be differentiated to generate high yields of CAR-T, CAR-NK and CAR-myeloid cells.
iPSCs:Cas-CLOVER is also efficient for creating knockouts and knock-ins in induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPSCs, with very low toxicity. Data will be presented showing the greater efficiencies of Cas-CLOVER as compared to an industry standard editing platform for therapeutic knock-in using plasmid DNA.
Genetically Modified NK Cells:The Company will also present data on efficient genetic modification of NK Cells using piggyBac and Cas-CLOVER platform technologies. The Cas-CLOVER gene editing system can be used to efficiently edit NK cells, or CAR-NK cells, while piggyBac can be used to effectively deliver large therapeutic transgenes to activated or un-activated peripheral blood NK cells which maintain CAR expression, phenotype, and function. Several emerging potential CAR-NK cell product candidates will be revealed, all of which demonstrate specific killing of cancer cells.
R&D Day Webcast InformationA live webcast of the Company's R&D Day event will be available on the Investors & Media section of Poseida's website, http://www.poseida.com. A replay of the webcast will be available for 30 days following the presentation.
About Poseida Therapeutics, Inc.Poseida Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to utilizing our proprietary gene engineering platform technologies to create next generation cell and gene therapeutics with the capacity to cure. We have discovered and are developing a broad portfolio of product candidates in a variety of indications based on our core proprietary platforms, including our non-viral piggyBac DNA Modification System, Cas-CLOVER site-specific gene editing system and nanoparticle- and AAV-based gene delivery technologies. Our core platform technologies have utility, either alone or in combination, across many cell and gene therapeutic modalities and enable us to engineer our wholly-owned portfolio of product candidates that are designed to overcome the primary limitations of current generation cell and gene therapeutics. To learn more, visit http://www.poseida.com and connect with us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Forward-Looking StatementsStatements contained in this press release regarding matters that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements include statements regarding the clinical data presented, the potential benefits of Poseida's technology platforms and product candidates and Poseida's plans and strategy with respect to developing its technologies and product candidates. Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon Poseida's current expectations and involve assumptions that may never materialize or may prove to be incorrect. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of various risks and uncertainties, which include, without limitation, risks and uncertainties associated with development and regulatory approval of novel product candidates in the biopharmaceutical industry, the fact that future clinical results could be inconsistent with results observed to date and the other risks described in Poseida's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made. Poseida undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made, except as required by law.
SOURCE Poseida Therapeutics, Inc.
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Poseida Therapeutics Provides Update on Key Programs and Developments During R&D Day - PRNewswire
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