Philip Serlin: Now as far as other indications, we are already well invested, so to speak, in pancreatic cancer. We have a number of trials that are ongoing with our partner GenFleet in China with Columbia University. We are also, as you know, looking at stem cell mobilization for gene therapy in sickle cell disease patients. And so those are areas that we are going to continue to focus on and probably look to broaden. We’re very excited about gene therapy. It seems to be an area that requires that there’s a real unmet medical need. The gene therapy requires a huge amount of cells. They are — GCSF is contraindicated for sickle cell disease patients. And so therefore, currently their only alternative is plerixafor. And they need to undergo multiple cycles of mobilization and apheresis sessions, etcetera.
And we believe — and that — we’re hoping to see that in the investigator initiative study that we’re going to be — that Washington University is going to be executing. We believe that we’re going to see that our drug can provide significant benefits and mobilize significantly greater amounts of cells. But that again has to be proven.
Joe Pantginis: That’s great. And if I can ask just a more focused question regarding tank. I just want to make sure, is the protocol set for the randomized Phase IIb? Or is this something that is sort of up in the air a little bit with regard to VP discussions as well?
Philip Serlin: Ella, would you like to take that?
Ella Sorani: Yes. Joe, this is Ella. The protocol is — sure.
Philip Serlin: Short answer is yes.
Joe Pantginis: Broad to short, I love it.
Philip Serlin: I mean, do you have any other — anything more specific about pancreas or this trial? I mean we’re happy to answer. I just I guess it…
Operator: The next question is from John Vandermosten of Zacks.
John Vandermosten: I wanted to continue on the gene therapy question. And obviously, that is a big opportunity there. Are there — what are some other indications in the gene therapy you can address that are particularly amenable to using Motixafortide to gather the stem cells?
Philip Serlin: Holly, would you like to take that?
Holly May: I’m going to take that because I come from that world. So I don’t want to — because the person who’s commercializing, I don’t want you to infer anything from that we are absolutely doing this out of those thing. But I will tell you, I come from this world. And so I have a really kind of clear picture. For any of the cell or gene therapies that kind of use that lentiviral approach. And so often the ones that are kind of more near term are those ex vivo lentiviral approach. I came from a company that was focused on the lysosomal storage disorders. And so that’s an area. I know that if you look at some of the other indications that say, Bluebird Bio has — and it will be launching in. So some of those rare disease indications where there is a lentiviral approach.
And right now, most of those are ex vivo or the stem cells are being removed through mobilization and then manufactured and then conditioning is — the patient goes with conditioning and then the cell therapy or the gene therapy is administered. We’re looking at the horizon though. We know there’s other lentiviral kind of like in vivo type approaches, too which we find to be very, very interesting. So stem cell mobilization is still a factor there. So whether it’s in vivo or ex vivo but it requires the mobilization of stem cells. There are several indications in the rare disease space, especially, like I said in those like lysosomal storage disorders where there could be some utilization. Now that’s not to say, you might want to comment that we have our eye on clinical programs there.
