Scientist, physician, and entrepreneur Laurence Cooper joins the BioOra board
Physician by training, Laurence Cooper’s interest in using T-cells to attack cancer began when he followed his medical degree with a PhD in immunology.
While doing practical training in paediatrics at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center (known as the Hutch) Laurence was introduced to the cancer fighting properties of T-cells.
Laurence recalls, “At the Hutch you had folks who were very good at manipulating T-cells, and others who were doing the first genetic manipulation of cells using retroviruses.”
“I saw early on T-cells could be weaponised to fight cancer. At the time, that was seen as clever, but not that useful. There were no approved products using engineered T-cells, and no established manufacturing pathway to take the innovation into clinics.”
The director emeritus of the clinical research division at the Hutch, Don Thomas was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine for his development of bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Laurence says, “Don and his spouse and research partner Dottie taught us bone marrow transplants not only restore the generation of blood cells, but also the production of new immune cells, or T-cells. And these T-cells can exert a curative anti-tumour effect, particularly for blood cancers.” This was the foundation for directly infusing T cells as therapy.
An early adopter of CAR-T cell therapy
Laurence explains, “If someone has cancer, their immune system has lost the initial battle. To restore the ability of their T-cells to kill cancer, you have to provide those T-cells with new tools. That's where genetic programming comes in.”
Relocating to California to use bone marrow transplantation techniques to introduce genetically modified T-cells to cancer patients, Laurence learned chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) could be used to redirect T-cells. T-cells have native receptors that detect some targets, but CARs can redirect them to immediately recognise cancer as a threat. For example, one can stably express a CAR onto the cell surface of T-cells enabling them to recognise the target CD19 on B-cell malignancies. Indeed, Dr. Robert Weinkove and his team at Malaghan Institute in partnership with Callaghan Innovation are investigating how home-grown CD19-targeting CAR-T benefits patients in New Zealand with lymphoma.
After moving to the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston to lead their BMT program for children, Laurence learned how CAR-T could be used to treat leukaemia and lymphomas. There he helped lead ground-breaking studies that changed the way investigators use gene therapy to express CARs. That technology was licensed to industry in 2015 and Laurence moved from bedside to boardroom to become CEO of a public company, Ziopharm Oncology, beginning his career as an entrepreneur. Since then, Laurence has started several other companies, with a particular focus on human health.
From biotech entrepreneur to biotech governance
On Laurence’s entrepreneurial journey he met Dr. Farzad Haerizadeh, Chief Scientific Officer of Bio4t2, a US based start-up developing CAR-T therapies to treat patients with solid tumours, that is part of Bridgewest Group’s investment portfolio. Bridgewest invited Laurence to join the Bio4t2 Board, which he now chairs.
As Laurence became more immersed in commercialization of CAR-T therapy to treat cancers, he became interested in the production side. “Supply chain complexities make manufacturing these living drugs expensive. BioOra has a role to play in automating production to reduce costs.”
“BioOra also has important CD19 CAR-T clinical data through their collaboration with the Malaghan Institute. The clinical data looks encouraging and the clinical need is there. At present, New Zealand patients with CD19 malignancies such as leukaemia and lymphomas often have to travel abroad to get their lifesaving CAR-T treatments.”
“BioOra has an opportunity to partner with Malaghan Institute and the government to provide scalable, cost effective homegrown cancer therapies, giving Kiwis the opportunity to be cured locally.”
Laurence sees an abundance of opportunities for BioOra. “It’s a special company. They’ve their automation platform, the data from the CD19 CAR-T trial, and the opportunity to help many people benefit from all manner of CAR-T therapies targeting a multitude of cancer types. Andi Grant is now the CEO, and that’s a terrific win. She’s the right captain to focus BioOra’s future strategy.”
A biotech start-up cluster with national significance
Laurence believes New Zealand has a global role to play in advanced T-cell engineering. “The Bridgewest team is building a cluster of companies contributing to CAR-T therapies. Part of their group is embedded in New Zealand under the leadership of Saum Vahdat. Through Bridgewest’s international network they can bring the power of larger populations and resources to bear on solving problems for New Zealand, while enhancing and exporting New Zealand innovation to the world.”
“When Covid-19 struck, New Zealand was initially left to find its way forward without the benefit of a significant resident immunology innovation engine to offer in-house translatable solutions. New Zealand is blessed with smart people, but not yet the infrastructure required to rapidly solve immunological emergencies. The government had no choice but to raise the drawbridge to save lives. But it came at a cost.”
“I’m an outsider, and I’m parachuting into this conversation, but one learning from Covid-19 is New Zealanders can’t expect others to come to the rescue. This applies not only to infectious threats, but also advanced cancers. The country can help safeguard its future by funding biotech.”
“I hope one lesson taken from the pandemic is the need to invest in technology such as CAR-T. This future has champions – for example, Bridgewest, BioOra, Malaghan Institute and Callaghan Innovation. They are already working together to provide a future for New Zealand that is from New Zealand.”
Immunotherapy beyond chemo, surgery, and radiation
The work BioOra is undertaking is also vital on the global stage. Laurence explains why. “Take my area of expertise, paediatric oncology. Worldwide, about 400,000 children are diagnosed with cancer each year. Chemotherapy, while it saves many lives, wreaks havoc on the child, on family finances, on emotions, and on people’s potential. Of the survivors, many kids who receive chemo will be part of the medical system for much of their lives because they are chronically injured by the treatment that saves them.”
“Do we want to live in a world wedded to chemotherapy? Or do we want to build a future where you or your child receives cancer-killing T-cells in a single infusion and you are cured with minimal side effects?”
“As a paediatric cancer doctor I want to help fix that problem and that is the world I want for your and my grandchildren. The goal is to eliminate the need for chemotherapy. And New Zealand should benefit from realising this dream.”
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