Harbour BioMed Leverages PPD’s Biotech to Develop Innovative Therapeutics

Harbour BioMed (HBM), a global clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, and Pharmaceutical Product Development, LLC (PPD), a global contract research organization (CRO), have announced a collaboration to develop HBM’s innovative therapeutics in the fields of oncology and immunology.

The selection of PPD as a preferred CRO partner enables HBM, which has operations in the United States, the European Union and China, to conduct global clinical studies on its internal research pipeline. HBM and PPD recently completed an Australian ethics committee (EC) submission for HBM4003, an anti-cancer immunotherapy to target solid tumors. 

HBM has been developing a pipeline in oncology and immunology since the company was established in late 2016. Its portfolio includes five clinical-stage, in-licensed compounds and a set of therapeutics generated by its internal discovery efforts, as well as co-discovery/development collaborations with academic institutions and biopharmaceutical companies.

“As a rapidly growing, medium-sized biotech company with global operations, we value the way PPD’s global capabilities and biotech-friendly approach both complement and extend our team’s decades of expertise in running global trials,” said Jingsong Wang, MD, PhD, founder, chairman and chief executive officer of HBM. “I’m pleased that our collaborative partnership already has enabled us to achieve the important milestone of our first global EC submission, and ahead of our aggressive schedule. We look forward to entering the clinical trial phase of our development programs with PPD as we pursue our global vision and ambition of delivering next-gen therapeutics to fulfill patient needs around the world.”

HBM is leveraging the services of PPD Biotech, which combines the global capabilities of PPD with the hands-on approach, dedication and innovative mindset that drive the success of biotech companies.

“Our enthusiasm for the opportunity to support the development of HBM’s innovative assets is equaled by our shared commitment to helping accelerate the delivery of life-changing therapies to patients,” said Anshul Thakral, executive vice president and global head of PPD Biotech. “We believe pairing an innovative biotech mindset with our scalable global development services is a powerful combination for our customers.”