When the world was impacted by the global pandemic in 2020, Linear made a strategic decision to “adapt and not endure” and sought opportunities to bring its expertise to help tackle the threat.
Linear secured the phase I trial for Clover’s protein based vaccine, one of the very first vaccines discovered. Linear accommodated a high volume vaccine study, established PCR testing solutions and worked collaboratively to accelerate the trial.
The phase I was highly successful, and the vaccine secured World Health Organisation approval and, alongside the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, represented one of the first vaccines to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
Damian Purcell, an infectious diseases expert at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, said the Clover vaccine trialed by Linear was one of the vaccines selected by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) as “a winner”.
Clover Biopharmaceuticals – China
Joshua Liang – CEO
“At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, we found the perfect partner in Linear to drive our vaccine candidate program forward. Their flexible and proactive approach, coupled with the pragmatic HREC environment in Australia, helped to deliver our study on time and to a high quality level that led to the development of a successful COVID-19 vaccine.”
One of the most successful trials at Linear has been a novel T-cell engaging bispecific antibody – Mosunetuzumab.
Alongside others (Genmab, Loxo@Lilly), Linear has facilitated life-saving access to these drugs for 100’s of West Australian patients years before their commercial availability in Australia, and played an instrumental role in making these agents available as standard of care treatments.
Many of the patients treated on these studies remain well and in remission.
These studies have led to multiple publications in scientific journals including the New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Blood and Lancet Oncology.
Loxo Phase 1-3
Linear were approached by a small biotech company to participate in a phase I trial of a new BTK inhibitor in patients with a group of blood cancers.
Linear enrolled one of the first patients in the world in the trial, and close to 50 patients in WA subsequently accessed the drug, then called LOXO-305.
Now called pirtobrutinib, the drug has progressed successful phase III trials in a range of blood cancers including chronic lymphocytic leukemia and mantle cell lymphoma and been approved for use in Europe and the USA.
Linear’s contribution has led to thousands of patients worldwide getting access to this safe and effective drug.