Starton Therapeutics and Bend Bioscience Enter into Development Agreement for Oral Controlled Release Dosage Form of STAR-LLD (lenalidomide)
Starton Therapeutics and Bend Bioscience Enter into Development Agreement for Oral Controlled Release Dosage Form of STAR-LLD (lenalidomide)
Press Release
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PARAMUS, NJ, June 24, 2025 – Starton Therapeutics Inc. (“Starton”), a clinical-stage biotechnology company transforming standard-of-care therapies with proprietary continuous delivery technologies, today announced a collaboration agreement with Bend Bioscience (“Bend”), a leading innovation, science, and pharmaceutical services partner, whereby Bend will provide drug delivery R&D support and manufacturing capabilities for Starton’s lead candidate, STAR-LLD, a proprietary oral sustained release dosage form of lenalidomide.
“We are excited to enter into this agreement with Bend for the development of an oral sustained release formulation of STAR-LLD,” said Pedro Lichtinger, Chairman and CEO of Starton. “This oral formulation of STAR-LLD not only has the potential to demonstrate superior tolerability and efficacy but could also improve patient compliance and convenience. While the branded lenalidomide product remains a cornerstone treatment for multiple myeloma, the approved oral formulation of the drug is associated with hematologic side effects in some patients. By giving less drug continuously, STAR-LLD may improve the therapeutic index of lenalidomide allowing for better treatment outcomes.”
Starton is entering this strategic partnership based on Bend’s expertise in controlled release formulation, manufacturing process, and analytical method development, as well as clinical and commercial manufacturing of solid oral dosage forms. Under the agreement, Bend will develop an optimized oral STAR-LLD tablet by leveraging and building upon Starton’s intellectual property and deep understanding of delivering lenalidomide on a continuous basis from prior clinical trials. The collaboration will focus on enhancing the product’s performance and scalability, with Bend leading the scale-up and commercial manufacturing efforts.
“Bend’s proven expertise in formulation and manufacturing complements our innovation and understanding of how to reduce toxicity and improve efficacy of lenalidomide and we’re eager to partner with them,” said Andy Rensink, Starton’s Chief Manufacturing Officer.
“Bend Bioscience is committed to improving patients’ lives by delivering innovative drug products,” added Owen Murray, CEO of Bend. “This collaboration underscores our commitment to supporting our partners from early development through commercial production. Our reputation for progressing medicines to clinical and commercial manufacturing is a testament of our commitment to strong science, exceptional quality, and positive outcomes for our customers and their patients. We are excited to be a part of Starton’s story, and to see STAR-LLD potentially reach patients in need.”
About STAR-LLD
STAR-LLD is a continuous delivery lenalidomide (LLD) in development to expand and replace the standard-of-care for the most common blood cancers, multiple myeloma (MM), and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). A preclinical proof-of-concept study for subcutaneous STAR-LLD demonstrated that MM tumors caused by human myeloma cells grew 25-fold if untreated, five-fold when treated with daily lenalidomide, and shrank by 80% with STAR-LLD over a single 28-day cycle. The study also showed a 100% overall response rate (ORR) using continuous delivery LLD and 20% of animals in this cohort were tumor-free after 100 days, compared to a 0% ORR in animals treated with a 70% higher dose of lenalidomide given in single daily doses. In addition, a Phase 1b clinical study of six relapsed/refractory MM patients resulted in all patients that received STAR-LLD achieving an objective response (1 CR and 5 PRs); no patients experienced drug-related anemia, neutropenia, leukopenia, or thrombocytopenia greater than grade 2 in up to 12 cycles of therapy. The study concluded that continuous delivery of low dose lenalidomide (STAR-LLD) provides meaningful efficacy and improved tolerability with no grade > 2 drug-related hematologic toxicity.
About Starton Therapeutics
Starton Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology platform company focused on transforming standard-of-care therapies with proprietary continuous delivery technology, so people with cancer live better, for longer. Starton’s proprietary technology is intended to increase the efficacy of approved drugs, make them more tolerable, and expand their potential use. To learn more, visit www.startontx.com.
About Bend Bioscience
Bend Bioscience is a small molecule drug product CDMO offering enabling technology expertise and capabilities from pre-clinical to commercial scale. Bend’s drug delivery expertise and infrastructure includes bioavailability enhancement, controlled release, and particle engineering technologies. Providing clients with the highest levels of service and science, Bend combines the broad capabilities and reliability of an established CDMO with the creative solutions and flexibility of a technology partner. To learn more, visit www.bendbioscience.com.
Forward Looking Statements
All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release, including, without limitation, statements regarding our plans and objectives for future operations and expectations about current and future clinical trials, constitute “forward-looking statements.” Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous conditions and known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results or events to differ materially from those included within the forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, and except as required by law, Starton undertakes no obligation to disclose any revision to these forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
BEND BIOSCIENCE OPENS 4 NEW PROCESS DEVELOPMENT & MANUFACTURING SUITES IN OREGON
BEND BIOSCIENCE OPENS 4 NEW PROCESS DEVELOPMENT & MANUFACTURING SUITES IN OREGON
PRESS RELEASE
Clearwater, FL – June 19, 2025 – Bend Bioscience, a leading innovation, science, and pharmaceutical services partner, today announced the opening of four new process development and manufacturing suites within its 30,000-square-foot site in Bend, Oregon. The suites will support spray drying and unit operations including granulation, encapsulation, compression and coating for oral dosage forms, and includes a dedicated low humidity suite for inhalation powder encapsulation and moisture-sensitive powder handling.
The opening of the four suites marks the completion of Bend Bioscience’s 14,000-square-foot process science and manufacturing facility, making a total of seven state-of-the-art manufacturing suites at the site for early-phase product development and manufacturing of enhanced dosage form products. These new suites accommodate additional cGMP processing equipment including a second pilot-scale spray dryer (300kg/hr gas flow), 100L agitated vacuum secondary dryer, and dosage form train including a 16-station Korsch X3 MFP tablet press and associated granulation, blending, and coating unit operations.
“We are proud to showcase both our state-of-the-art facility and equipment as well as our high science and high service culture that we employ to meet our customers key formulation development and manufacturing needs,” commented Owen Murray, CEO of Bend Bioscience. He added, “This latest extension provides additional capacity and capabilities to meet growing demand from clients in the areas of particle engineering and spray drying for absorption enhancement and dry-powder inhalation.”
This investment follows Bend Bioscience’s recent announcement of plans to install a PSD-4 commercial spray dryer at its site in Gainesville, Georgia.
About Bend Bioscience
Bend Bioscience is a small molecule drug product CDMO offering enabling technology expertise and capabilities from pre-clinical to commercial scale. Bend’s drug delivery expertise and infrastructure includes bioavailability enhancement, controlled release, and particle engineering technologies. Providing clients with the highest levels of service and science, Bend combines the broad capabilities and reliability of an established CDMO with the creative solutions and flexibility of a technology partner. To learn more, visit www.bendbioscience.com.”
Media Contacts
Bend Bioscience:
e: media@bendbioscience.com
Chris Halling, Director, Orientation Marketing Ltd.
t: +44 (0)7580 041073
CoreRx, Societal CDMO, and Bend Bioscience Unite Under the Bend Bioscience Brand
CoreRx, Societal CDMO, and Bend Bioscience Unite Under the Bend Bioscience Brand to Provide World Class CDMO Offering
Sep 04, 2024, 05:00 ET
BEND, Ore., Sept. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In a significant move, CoreRx, Societal CDMO, and Bend Bioscience have announced their unification under the Bend Bioscience brand. This merger brings together three highly respected organizations, each with a unique legacy and distinct strengths, to form a comprehensive contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) that offers an end-to-end suite of services.
The decision to adopt the Bend Bioscience name reflects the company's commitment to innovation, technical excellence and unmatched customer service; a reputation established by Bend Bioscience since its inception. However, this unification equally honors the rich legacies of CoreRx and Societal CDMO, whose contributions and expertise will be foundational to the new brand.
CoreRx has long been recognized for its innovation in formulation development, providing customized, cutting-edge solutions that address some of the most complex challenges in drug development. Their specialized knowledge in the creation of innovative drug delivery systems and complex formulations will continue to be a critical component of Bend Bioscience's expanded service offerings.
Societal CDMO provides deep expertise in scalable manufacturing and commercial production, with a proven track record of quality and reliability. Their robust capabilities in cGMP manufacturing, packaging, and supply chain management complement the scientific and technical strengths of both CoreRx and Bend Bioscience, allowing the newly combined organization to offer a fully integrated development-to-commercialization pathway for its clients.
"Bend Bioscience was chosen as the unified brand because it encapsulates the scientific excellence and innovative spirit that all three companies represent," said Owen Murray, CEO of Bend Bioscience. "This merger is not just about combining resources; it's about building on the strengths of CoreRx's advanced formulation development, Societal CDMO's respected manufacturing capabilities in the area of modified release, and Bend Bioscience's leadership in scientific research and technology. Together, we are creating a CDMO that offers unmatched value and service to our clients and their patients."
By coming together under the Bend Bioscience brand, the new organization is poised to leverage its combined expertise, enhance operational efficiencies, and deliver comprehensive, high-quality services that help bring life-saving therapies to market faster and more efficiently.
About Bend Bioscience
Bend Bioscience is a premier CDMO formed from the unification of CoreRx, Societal CDMO, and Bend Bioscience, providing innovative solutions for every phase of drug development and manufacturing. With a commitment to quality, science, and service, Bend Bioscience operates state-of-the-art facilities in Bend, Oregon; Clearwater, Florida; and Gainesville, Georgia, enabling it to serve clients globally with comprehensive and integrated capabilities across multiple locations. Our goal is to partner with clients to turn complex molecules into meaningful medicines. Learn more at www.bendbioscience.com
For media inquiries, please contact:
Melissa Sullivan
Director of Marketing + Communications
Bend Bioscience
Email: media@bendbioscience.com
SOURCE Bend Bioscience
KTVZ: Bend Bioscience Opens New Process and Manufacturing Science Facility
KTVZ stopped by to check out our new state-of-the-art facility. We love our local news!