One of the world’s largest collections of medicines is being mined for new treatments
December 20, 2018
This video by Boston Globe’s STAT magazine features Calibr’s ReFRAME collection, a drug repurposing project that’s finding ways to treat new diseases with existing drugs. The Calibr scientists are using this collection, called ReFRAME, to identify existing drugs that show promise for treating major diseases. As a result of this ReFRAME initiative, two FDA-approved drugs are already being tested in clinical trials—one as a treatment for tuberculosis and another for the parasite Cryptosporidium spp., a major cause of severe diarrhea—within only a few short years of Calibr scientists discovering their utility. This is in contrast to the much longer timelines that often hinder new drug development.
Calibr-Skaggs advances CLF065, a regenerative GLP-2 therapy, into two Phase 2 IBD studies
CLF065, a long-acting, once-weekly GLP-2 receptor agonist, advances in two inflammatory bowel disease indications. The studies aim to bring a regenerative treatment option to patients living with IBD, who currently have few therapies that repair the damaged intestinal lining at the root of their disease.
What’s next for IBD care: Insights from a surgeon-scientist
The data is clear: inflammatory bowel diseases like ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s are on the rise worldwide. In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Amy Lightner—VP of Clinical Development at Calibr-Skaggs and colorectal surgeon at Scripps Clinic—to explore what drives these diseases, an upcoming phase 2 clinical trial for a new regenerative medicine, and how she balances life between the operating room and the research lab.
Reprogramming the immune system: Precision immunotherapy for cancer and autoimmune disease
Your immune system is your body’s natural defense, capable of identifying what belongs and what doesn’t. But when it falters, it can let cancer grow unchecked or mistakenly attack your own healthy tissues, leading to autoimmune diseases. What if we could reprogram the immune system to tip the balance in our favor, gaining an advantage over both cancers and autoimmune disorders? In this Front Row lecture, Calibr-Skaggs’ vice president of biologics, Travis Young, shared how Scripps Research is using genetic engineering to reprogram patients’ own immune cells to create personalized “switchable” CAR-T cell therapies. This approach represents a new class of precision immunotherapy designed to induce deep and durable remissions in patients with a wide range of cancers, from lymphoma to breast cancer, as well as in chronic autoimmune conditions such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and systemic sclerosis. Young explained how this breakthrough strategy works and what it could mean for the future of medicine.
Viome and Scripps Research partner to develop first at-home RNA screening test to prevent colon cancer before it strikes
First-of-its-kind 1,000-patient clinical study will use RNA-based stool and saliva tests to detect colon polyps — early warning signs of colorectal cancer — before they become cancerous.Study aims to enhance colorectal cancer prevention by identifying polyp molecular signals, offering improved sensitivity over at-home DNA tests, which have limited ability to detect precancerous lesions.