Nemucore Medical Innovations, Inc. Hosts National Cancer Institute Visit of its Facility

April 10, 2012 - PRLog -- Nemucore Medical Innovations, Inc. (NMI) of Worcester, MA hosted its first National Cancer Institute (NCI) site visit. Dr. Piotr Grodzinski, Director of the NCI Office of Cancer Nanotechnology Research (OCNR) was joined on the tour of the NMI facility by Dr. Anil K. Patri, Deputy Director of The Nanotechnology Characterization Lab. The OCNR runs the Centers of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence (CCNE). NMI is the core manufacturing facility for one of the nine CCNE sites, which are funded through the NCI Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer. As a manufacturing core with CCNE’s, NMI aims to eliminate a major bottleneck that is slowing the translation of cancer nanomedicine to the clinic by creating a national nanomedicine manufacturing resource for the development and implementation of state of the art methods and technologies for nanomedicine production.

Following a brief poster session, the NCI delegation reviewed NMI’s newly opened 10,000 square foot research and development labs and the 11,000 square foot biomanufacturing space currently being developed. NMI's guests were treated to two demonstrations. In the biomanufacturing suite the equipment NMI plans to deploy for nanomedicine manufacturing an innovative single use, modular biomanufacturing equipment produced by Xcellerex Inc., of Marlborough, MA, was showcased. Afterwards they were given a preview of NMI’s proprietary Nanolytics software, which is designed to accelerate a successful transfer of knowledge between laboratory scientists and scale up personnel responsible for manufacturing nanomedicines, potentially facilitating a smoother translation from laboratory to clinic.

Dr. Grodzinski congratulated NMI on its progress in developing its manufacturing capability for the CCNEs and said that, “Nemucore is developing a unique approach to high throughput manufacturing in nanomedicines. Their new facility in Worcester will accommodate a couple of bioreactors and will be collocated with a preclinical testing facility – a design promising a successful operation.” During the visit NMI presented Dr. Grodzinski with letters supporting NMI’s manufacturing mission from local, state, and federal officials.

Afterwards NMI CEO and President, Tim Coleman, said, “This site visit caps off a three year journey to establish a manufacturing facility dedicated to the investigation, development and deployment of the sophisticated equipment and infrastructure required for the translation of novel nanomedicines. We are excited by the NCI’s positive response and look forward to their continuing support.”

About the Centers for Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence
The National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer (http://nano.cancer.gov) program funds nine Centers for Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence (CCNE) across the United States. CCNEs bring together physical scientists, engineers and technologists who work at the nanoscale with cancer biologists and oncologists who specialize in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of cancer. These multi-disciplinary centers conduct pre-clinical to clinical research to further the application of nanotechnology in clinical oncology.

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About Nemucore Medical Innovations
Nemucore Medical Innovations, Inc. is dedicated to designing, investigating, developing, and commercializing life-saving nanomedicines for the treatment of ovarian cancer. Ultimately, we believe our products will be part of the personalized medicine revolution occurring in cancer therapies. Our unique focus on reducing the complex nature of nanomedicine manufacturing is expected to enhance the speed by which we translate novel therapeutics to the clinic. As a participant in the National Cancer Institute's Centers for Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence, we are building a state of the art biomanufacturing facility as a national resource for nanomedicine and emerging biopharmaceutical community. NMI was founded in 2008 and is based in Worcester and Wellesley, Massachusetts. For more information, please visit http://www.nemucore.com.