HOUSTON, March 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Bellicum
Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that the Company received
notice of a $5.7 million company commercialization award from the
Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (“CPRIT”).
Bellicum was the only company recommended for funding in this
second round of the commercialization award program. The
award will fund personnel, manufacturing, and clinical testing of
Bellicum’s CaspaCIDe™ therapy, which promises to
substantially improve outcomes for late stage cancer patients.
CPRIT was established to expedite cancer research innovation and
commercialization and to enhance access to evidence-based
prevention programs and services throughout the State. Company
commercialization awards are a critical part of the Institute’s
initiative to support the advancement of the most promising
opportunities towards regulatory approval and market launch.
The State has announced more than $500 million in awards and
matching funds for innovative cancer research and prevention
programs.
The application review process included in-depth evaluation by
scientific and commercialization experts, followed by regulatory,
product development and intellectual property due diligence.
Acceptance of the award is subject to the completion of contract
negotiations. “We are pleased to have been recommended for a
significant $5.7 million award from CPRIT to advance our novel
therapy for patients with high risk cancers,” said CEO Tom Farrell.
“We are especially pleased to receive this notice given the
rigorous review of our application by the CPRIT Commercialization
Review Council, whose members have substantial scientific, venture
capital and commercial expertise.”
The award will support clinical development of CaspaCIDe™,
Bellicum’s solution to the problem of Graft versus Host Disease
(GvHD), a debilitating and often fatal side effect of bone marrow
transplantation. Originally developed b
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