CrownBio and Hubrecht Organoid Technology Announce a Strategic Partnership, including Exclusive License to Provide Oncology Organoid-Based Preclinical Drug Development and Validation Services

Partnership combines breakthrough organoid technology with the world’s largest PDX collection to create a unique patient-derived translational research platform

(San Diego, Calif., March 26th, 2019) — Crown Bioscience, a global drug discovery and development services company, providing translational platforms to advance oncology, inflammation and autoimmune, cardiovascular and metabolic disease research announced today that parent company, JSR Corporation, has entered into a strategic partnership with Hubrecht Organoid Technology (HUB).

The agreement provides CrownBio, a wholly owned subsidiary of JSR Corporation, with an exclusive license to provide preclinical oncology drug development and validation services using HUB Organoid Technology, including access to HUB’s highly characterized tumor organoid biobank. CrownBio and HUB will also launch a collaborative research & development program to accelerate further development of Organoid Technology, while CrownBio will establish a new operations center in Utrecht, Netherlands.

HUB’s adult stem cell-derived organoids, developed by Prof. Hans Clevers at the Hubrecht Institute in Utrecht, are generated using highly standardized, proprietary culture methods. The Organoids faithfully recapitulate tumors in patients and are extensively characterized by pathology, genomics, and sensitivity to known and experimental drugs.

“This agreement is a pivotal moment in our growth and the evolution of the company,” said Dr. Jean-Pierre Wery, CEO of CrownBio. “This partnership positions CrownBio at the forefront of global preclinical research by creating an unparalleled translational platform to accelerate drug development and validation.”

Building on a global leadership in Patient-Derived Xenografts (PDX), CrownBio will offer comprehensive pharmacology and translational services based on HUB Organoid Technology, establishing a unique platform that incorporates in vitro screening of Patient-Derived Organoids (PDO) and PDX derived organoids (PDXO), matched to downstream in vivo models.

“We are delighted with the increased access to HUB Organoid Technology for researchers worldwide through CrownBio’s global reach and preclinical service expertise,” said Dr. Robert Vries, Executive Director of HUB. “Our partnership with CrownBio equips the drug development community with powerful new translational tools to guide the creation of novel and improved treatments for cancer.”

CrownBio is a global drug discovery and development solutions company providing translational platforms to advance oncology, inflammation, cardiovascular and metabolic disease research. With an extensive portfolio of relevant models and predictive tools, CrownBio enables clients to deliver superior clinical candidates. For more information about CrownBio’s translational oncology platforms visit https://www.crownbio.com

Hubrecht Organoid Technology (HUB) is an organization founded by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Sciences and the University Medical Center Utrecht. HUB exploits the pioneering work of Prof. Hans Clevers, who discovered methods to grow stem cell-derived human ‘mini-organs’ (HUB Organoids) from tissues of patients with various diseases. The organoids, which are part of the HUB biobanks, are characterized by genome sequencing, expression profiling and sensitivity to known and experimental drugs to establish a database linking genetic and transcriptional information to drug responsiveness. HUB offers licenses to its patented HUB Organoid Technology and access to organoids from the HUB biobank for preclinical drug screening, discovery, development and validation. In addition, HUB is performing clinical studies to validate the technology’s use as a companion diagnostic. More info at www.hub4organoids.eu.