To operate within the exosome market, it is vital to assess novel opportunities for product development. The most developed market segment involves research products that utilize stem cell exosomes, with these tools being sold to researchers in laboratories worldwide. However, exosomes can also be commercialized as therapeutic agents, diagnostic tools, and cosmeceuticals. Additionally, manufacturing technologies are being developed to support exosome production.
Exosome Market Analysis
In this article:
- Research & Diagnostic Applications of Exosomes
- Evolution of Exosome Therapeutics
- Accelerating Interest in Exosome Manufacturing
Quick Facts About the Exosome Market
This article explores facts about the exosome market, including the growing role of exosome research products, as well as diagnostic and therapeutic applications.
Research & Diagnostic Applications of Exosomes
Although exosomes and extracellular vesicles (EVs) are being used predominantly within the research and life science fields, we will likely see an explosion in the development of research and clinical tools as more data is published on their applications. This will parallel the rapid growth seen in the consumer genetics market.
Exosome Diagnostics
There is a prolific body of research exploring how exosomes can be leveraged as biomarkers to detect cancer and other emerging disease states without the need for biopsy or other invasive procedures.
Because exosomes reflect properties of their cell source (the cell from which they were secreted), they can be used as powerful diagnostic tools. In one example involving a cancer stem cell population, a research team led by Dr. Bourkoula demonstrated that exosomes derived from glioma-associated stem cells (GASCs) support tumor growth and have a tumor-supporting phenotype.[1]
A market leader in the area of exosome diagnostics is the company Exosome Diagnostics. Exosome Diagnostics develops minimally invasive molecular diagnostics for blood and urine to enable doctors to select optimal therapies for their patients.
Similarly, Oasis Diagnostics is doing fascinating work with salivary extracellular vesicles (EVs), exosomes, and other non-invasive diagnostics.
Exosome Research
Equipment and protocols to support exosome-based research are also being developed. For example, Beckman Coulter is actively marketing its instrumentation (via Google Adwords) to support standardized and automated exosome isolation, characterization, and sequencing of exosome-derived RNA.
Evolution of Exosome Therapeutics
In recent years, there has also been an evolution toward the use of exosomes as cell-free therapeutics. Several companies are now developing exosome-based therapeutics, as described below.
Aegle Therapeutics
Aegle Therapeutics is the first extracellular vesicle (EV) company to be cleared by the FDA to enter clinical trials in humans. Headquartered in Miami, FL, the company is using allogeneic bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BM-MSC) derived extracellular vesicles to treat severe dermatological disorders, with a focus on burn treatments.
In May 2018, Aegle announced that the FDA cleared its first Investigational New Drug (IND) application to initiate a clinical trial in severe second degree burn patients. The company plans to launch a Phase 1/2a clinical trial of its lead product AGLE-102 in late 2018.
The open label dose escalation study will enroll patients at several sites in the U.S., evaluating the safety of extracellular vesicle therapy in burn patients
Codiak BioSciences | Exosome Therapy
Codiak Biosciences is exploring methods of using exosomes as cell-free therapeutics, and its success in this area is promising. According to the company, Codiak can “precisely control the signals either on the surface of or within the exosome, and deliver a precise signal(s) to promote a therapeutic effect.”
Founded in 2015, Codiak was formed when the MD Anderson Cancer Center joined with two venture capital firms and co-founder Dr. Eric Lander to launch the company, with $80 million in series A and B financing.
Kimera Labs | Exosome Stem Cells Research
Kimera Labs is a biotechnology company with an FDA registered tissue facility that develops “umbilical cord and organ based exosome products for research and therapeutic purposes.” In addition to offering cosmeceutical products, such as its XOGLO™ skin therapy, it is exploring exosome methods and therapy protocols for use in treating burns, orthopedics, and inflammatory diseases.
The company has an incredible burn patient case study that can be seen here.
ExCoBio, Inc. | Anti-Aging Exosome Treatment
A “cosmeceutical” is a cosmetic product that has medicinal properties, most commonly, anti-aging properties. ExCoBio, Inc. is a market leader in the area of exosome-based cosmeceuticals, but other players are beginning to appear, particularly within East Asia.
ExoCoBio is a venture-backed startup that develops exosome-based cosmeceuticals and biopharmaceuticals for skin and tissue regeneration that is headquartered in South Korea.[2]
Accelerating Interest in Exosome Manufacturing
To support growing interest in exosome therapeutics, manufacturing efforts have also accelerated. In one notable example, RoosterBio and Exopharm entered a partnership to develop techniques for the large-scale manufacture of clinical-grade exosomes (August 2017).
Similarly, Lonza has expressed an intent to compete in this market, with Behzad Mahdavi, Lonza’s VP of Strategic Innovation and Alliances stating: “With Lonza’s capabilities in large-scale cell-culture manufacturing, we are well suited to develop the processes needed for the commercial scale production for exosome applications, an additional logical step in the advancement of this field.”[1]
The Australian biotech company VivaZome Therapeutics was also awarded a grant of $2.18M in December 2017 to support a project titled,” Enabling Exosome Therapy: Developing an Advanced Manufacturing Process.”
Each of the areas described above represents exciting opportunities for the commercialization of stem cell exosomes, as well as exosomes derived from other cell types.
What are your thoughts on the current exosome market? Share them in the comments below.
Footnotes
[1] Bourkoula E, Mangoni D, Ius T, Pucer A, Isola M, Musiello D, Marzinotto S, Toffoletto B, Sorrentino M, Palma A, et al. Glioma-associated stem cells: A novel class of tumor-supporting cells able to predict prognosis of human low-grade gliomas. Stem Cells. 2014;32:1239–1253. doi: 10.1002/stem.1605.
[2] ExoCoBio Inc. attracts Series A investment of US$11 million. [online] PRWeb. Available at: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2017/04/prweb14284662.htm [Accessed 11 Aug. 2017].