Orgenesis to Acquire Tamir Biotechnology for Broad Spectrum Antiviral Platform

Orgenesis, a Germantown, MD-based biotech company specializing in cell and gene therapies, has entered into an agreement to acquire the assets of Tamir Biotechnology (TamirBio), a United States-based clinical-stage anti-viral therapeutics company, for a total stock and cash consideration deal valued at approximately $16.8 million. The acquisition includes TamirBio’s ranpirnase, a broad spectrum anti-viral platform, which Orgenesis plans to combine with its co-developed Bioxome technology for enhanced payload delivery directly to cells, the company said in an April 13, 2020 press release.

TamirBio’s ranpirnase, a ribonuclease (RNase), is a member of the superfamily of enzymes that catalyze the degradation of RNA and mediate several essential biological activities, including the regulation of cell proliferation, maturation, differentiation, and cell death. It is a potential candidate for the development of therapeutics for life-threatening diseases, including viral and autoimmune diseases, that require anti-proliferative and apoptotic properties.

TamirBio’s first target is the human papilloma virus (HPV). A topical ranpirnase, the company’s lead asset, was evaluated in a Phase I/II clinical trial targeting genital warts caused by HPV. The study demonstrated clear clinical effect of ranpirnase. Additional clinical trials are currently being planned.

Orgenesis’ Bioxomes have demonstrated the ability to fuse with cell membranes and deliver an intracellular cargo, in a similar manner to natural exosomes. Bioxomes can carry selected therapeutic cargo inside the target cells when loaded with predesignated genetic material, proteins, signaling molecules, and drugs, as these mimic the natural membrane fusion capacity of exosomes. Orgenesis and TamirBio believe the combination of their two platforms will result in enhanced efficacy and anti-viral results.

“Combining TamirBio’s broad antiviral platform, ranpirnase, with Bioxomes could result in an enhanced payload delivery into cells. In independent third-party testing, ranpirnase has shown anti-viral activity in multiple viruses. Additionally, over 1000 patients have been dosed with ranpirnase in previous cancer/mesothelioma clinical trials. Ranpirnase demonstrated a strong safety and tolerability profile that should help accelerate the approval pathway. We believe combining ranpirnase with the Bioxome platform has the potential to become a potent and powerful combination given the natural intracellular trafficking abilities of Bioxomes. We look forward to testing a variety of additional anti-viral therapies in the near future,” said Vered Caplan, CEO of Orgenesis, in the company’s press release.

“We are honored to combine forces with Orgenesis to advance this powerful platform,” stated, Jamie Sulley, president of TamirBio, in the press release. “Ranpirnase has already demonstrated preclinical antiviral activity in such viral diseases as HPV, HIV, Ebola, and SARS. Not only do we believe Orgenesis will help advance ranpirnase through the clinic using their global development platform, but by combining ranpirnase with the Bioxome technology, we believe we can deliver ranpirnase through a more effective delivery mechanism.”

Source: Orgenesis