DelSite Biotechnologies Appoints Renowned Expert to Advisory Board

Strategic Insights -

Joseph A. Bellanti, MD, Director of the International Center for Interdisciplinary Studies of Immunology at Georgetown University, has joined the scientific advisory board of DelSite Biotechnologies, Inc., a Carrington Laboratories, Inc. subsidiary. Alongside Kinam Park, PhD, and Charles L. McCormick, PhD, Bellanti will advise DelSite on the clinical development of respiratory delivery of vaccines and drugs. His expertise in developmental immunology will be invaluable in enhancing DelSite's proprietary drug delivery technologies.

Key Takeaways:

  • Bellanti's research has focused on developmental immunology, with expertise in phagocytic cell function in newborns and clinical trials for innovative vaccines, including those delivered to the respiratory tract.
  • He has directed postgraduate training programs in developmental immunology since 1968 and a clinical residency program in allergy and immunology since 1978.
  • Bellanti has received numerous awards, including two from the American College of Allergy and Immunology, for his work.
  • The GelVac nasal powder vaccine delivery system is DelSite's most advanced delivery platform, with a focus on improving intranasal, topical, and injectable routes of administration.
  • Development of the GelVac nasal powder vaccine delivery system is partially supported by an SBIR biodefense grant and a $6 million U.S. National Institutes of Health/NIAID preclinical development grant for H5N1 avian influenza.
  • DelSite Biotechnologies is a wholly owned subsidiary of Carrington Laboratories, Inc. and is focused on commercializing novel polymer drug delivery technology.

Statistics:

  • 15 healthy volunteers participated in a phase 2 clinical trial for GelVac, demonstrating its safety and well-tolerability.
  • The GelVac nasal powder vaccine delivery system uses the proprietary GelSite polymer, which exhibits distinct chemical and functional properties.
  • $4 million of the $6 million NIH/NIAID grant was awarded preclinically for H5N1 avian influenza research.
  • The GelVac powder delivery system undergoes in situ gelation, changing from a liquid or powder to a gel upon contact with body fluids.

Sources:

  • Health & Medicine Week editors, "DelSite Biotechnologies Appoints Renowned Expert to Advisory Board" via NewsRx.com, 2006.