How to build a bridge from an idea to a pharmacy
Anastasia Matveeva, "Nanometer"Dmitry Ovchinnikov does not consider himself a scientist, he is a manager.
He knows how to make a business out of scientific discoveries. Dmitry heads a company that is engaged in applied science, translational research.
Photo: Ilya Benton
The research company Selecta is working on the creation of nanovaccines for the prevention and treatment of serious diseases (cancer, chronic infections, autoimmune diseases). An effective, safe vaccine will turn out – the company will earn money. And society will receive a new, useful tool that may save many lives.
The Russian company Selecta is an exact copy of the American "parent" company. Selecta Biosciences was founded in 2008 by three scientists from MIT and Harvard Universities. They combined their research in the field of nanotechnology and immunology and created a company to develop the latest type of vaccines – based on nanoparticles. The company is successfully developing in the USA. A few years ago, RUSNANO OJSC joined the shareholders, and Selecta Biosciences opened its first foreign research center in Russia.
Selecta in Khimki opened in November 2012. "We bought exactly the same equipment as our American colleagues. Only we have it new. All 12 employees of the laboratory were trained in the USA, – says Dmitry Ovchinnikov. – Co–founder of Selecta Biosciences, Bob Langer – one of the most prominent people in nanopharmacology and nanomedicine - invented the technology of creating nanoparticles from biodegradable polymers. We use this know-how to create immunotherapy and vaccines for the treatment and prevention of oncological, respiratory, infectious, autoimmune and allergic diseases. American and Russian laboratories are engaged in different areas of research. The Russian laboratory focuses on vaccines for the treatment of chronic infections or tumor diseases. A laboratory in the USA makes vaccines for the treatment of autoimmune diseases and allergies. There is also a third platform – preventive vaccines – we share these projects among ourselves."
Theoretically, the nanotechnology method is cheaper, faster and simpler than other methods of obtaining vaccines, but this can only be verified by creating a medicine.
The main advantage of the "Selecta" method is that nanotechnology makes it possible to make safer and more effective drugs. Thanks to nanoparticles, all components of the vaccine can be delivered to the immune system simultaneously, which means that with a lower dose of the vaccine, its effectiveness will be higher. Animal studies have already confirmed the effectiveness of the vaccine, it remains to conduct human studies.
A group of chemical analysts checks whether nanoparticles have turned out, whether they are suitable in size and composition for the vaccine, whether they have been cleared of unnecessary impurities. If analysts admit that the drug turned out to be "correct", then they begin testing it on animals.
Selecta is a young company, and its projects are still at the research stage. The pharmaceutical product development cycle is very, very long: at least 12 years pass from the idea to the pharmacy. Only one product of the laboratory – the anti-nicotine vaccine – has passed the first stage of clinical trials in Belgium, and the rest of the products are still being studied on animals – in vivo.
Scientists use different animals for research, but usually they are laboratory mice. They are large enough to make it convenient to study immunological reactions, and closer to humans than, for example, fruit flies. Selecta does not have its own vivarium, "tests" of drugs are carried out at the partner institute.
Experimental samples that are tested on animals are made by the formation group. Specialists of the laboratory of immunobiology go to the vivarium, inject the tested vaccine to animals, take samples from animals (blood, lymph) and analyze them in their laboratory. The whole laboratory is waiting for the results of these studies – after all, this is where it is determined whether the vaccine is effective.
The laboratory of Immunobiology is headed by a pediatrician by education, clinical immunologist Gregory, who has worked for 15 years at the cancer center of the University of North Carolina. "As soon as I realized that I could study topics of interest to me in Russia, I was happy to return," says Grigory.
About 20% of the researcher's working time is spent on experiments, and the rest is spent on science. Because the main thing is not to make an experiment, but to analyze it.
We came to the lab on Friday. "You're out of luck," Dmitry Ovchinnikov spread his hands. – Friday is the day of planning and reports on the work done. So no serious experiments are being conducted today. Strong experimental days are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday."
Dmitry's daily routine does not depend on the day of the week: planning, checking reports, communicating with investors, lawyers, accountants, meetings with scientists.
There is no chief scientific officer in Selecta, each head of the laboratory (and there are four of them in Selecta) is responsible for his own direction. "If we encounter a problem, we arrange brainstorming sessions. Everyone can offer their own solution, we have a very democratic company," says Dmitry. After 4 o'clock in the afternoon, the Russian Selecta is in touch with the American Selecta Biosciences: each laboratory communicates via Skype with its colleagues, Dmitry – with managers. Dmitry does not miss science: management is no less exciting or experimental activity than science.
"Is it important for a scientist that his discovery finds application?" we ask finally. "The process of cognition itself is important and rewards the scientist. When you learn something that no one knows, something completely new - it's such a feeling of euphoria, happiness that everything else is not so important anymore, – Dmitry Ovchinnikov believes. – But, of course, it's nice to see your product on the shelf, to understand that "10 thousand patients" were saved or began to feel better. The task of our laboratory is to create a bridge between fundamental science and production, to bring a scientific idea to the pharmacy. If we succeed, then products based on our technology will be in great demand."
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru15.01.2015