OUR PARTNERS & COLLABORATORS

Allterum is a spin-out company out of Fannin. Fannin is Houston’s most active biomedical development group focused on developing early stage pharmaceutical and medical device assets, both those in-licensed in from academic institutions and those developed internally.

Fannin’s approach to early-stage commercialization of academic research complements the more traditional academic paths of either out-licensing the technology to industry or spinning it out as a standalone VC-funded startup.  In its hybrid approach, Fannin serves as both the management team and the early investor, collaborating with the academic inventors to advance the technology, leveraging grant funding when appropriate.

Fannin evolved this approach as a way to address the biotech development gap in places, like Houston, that have a powerful research engine, but lack the critical mass of commercialization seen in the biotech hubs of Boston and San Francisco.  Since inception, Fannin has brought in ~35 programs, of which ~15 are active including three in the clinic.  We have had ~$193 million invested across our programs of which ~$69 million was from grant funding, with the rest coming from investors.

An additional critical element to Fannin’s model is helping grow life sciences product developers locally through its apprenticeship programs.  The program includes part-time interns and full-time product development associates (formerly “fellows”).  Our product development program has grown to become one of the largest of its kind, with over 300 interns and fellows in the last decade, with alumni active in institutions and biotech companies across the Houston ecosystem and nationally.

Allterum received one of the first Product Development Seed Awards from Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT), including ~ $3 million for preclinical development.  In 2023, Allterum was awarded a $12 million product development grant from CPRIT, which will support the clinical introduction of a therapeutic antibody targeting acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

CPRIT is a state agency that funds cancer research in Texas. Researchers and organizations in Texas are invited to apply for grants that match CPRIT’s mission and three goals to develop and advance innovation in the area of cancer for the prevention and cure of cancer.

Dr. Scott Durum and his group invented the 4A10 antibody technology and continue to actively collaborate on developing the program. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is the federal government’s principal agency for cancer research and training. Established under the National Cancer Institute Act of 1937, NCI is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), one of 11 agencies that make up the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Dr. Eric Schafer, Assistant Professor in Pediatrics-Oncology, will be the Chair of Allterum’s Phase I clinical trial, which will include Texas Children’s Hospital as a site. TCH/BCM continues to be one of the premier pediatric hospitals in the nation, most recently tying for 3^rd overall Best Children’s Hospital and #3 for pediatric cancer (U.S. News & World Report, 2019).

Andres Yunes, PhD is an investigator at the Boldrini Research Center who is collaborating with Allterum to study 4A10 in PDX models of T-ALL and B-ALL. 

Dr. Susan Rheingold, Medical Director of the Oncology Outpatient Clinic and Attending Physician at the Cancer Center of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelpha will be the Vice-Chair of Allterum’s Phase I clinical trial, which will include CHOP as a site.

Sarah Tasian, MD, is Chief of the Hematologic Malignancies Program at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She is a pediatric oncologist and physician-scientist pursuing the development of molecularly-targeted therapeutics for children with high-risk leukemias. Sarah’s lab is collaborating with Allterum to evaluate 4A10 in PDX models of B-ALL. 

Allterum will work with TACL to design, run, and manage its Phase I clinical trial. TACL is a leading organization for clinical trials in pediatric leukemia and lymphoma and brings vast clinical expertise to our program.

Dr. Elias Jabbour, Professor of Medicine in the Department of Leukemia has helped lead clinical development of multiple leukemia drugs and will be our collaborator in the Phase 1 clinical trial which will include MD Anderson as a site. Dr. Eric Jonasch, Professor in the Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology and also the co-chair of the renal cancer program will collaborate with us in our expansion efforts in other IL-7R expressing cancers.

FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies is our manufacturing partner and is currently completing cGMP scale-up and manufacturing of the 4A10 drug in advance of our Phase I clinical trial.