Murex Pharmaceuticals

Murex Pharmaceuticals was a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing innovative therapies for cancer and diabetes using live cell encapsulation technology. The company's core asset was the "Cell-in-a-Box" platform, which involved encapsulating genetically engineered cells to act as localized "bio-factories" for drug activation or hormone production. Its lead program targeted advanced pancreatic cancer by using encapsulated cells to activate the chemotherapy drug ifosfamide directly at the tumor site. This approach aimed to increase the concentration of the active drug at the tumor while reducing systemic toxicity. In 2011, Murex Pharmaceuticals was acquired by Nuvilex (now PharmaCyte Biotech), which continued the development of these encapsulation-based therapies.