22.05.2024 12:55:07 - dpa-AFX: GNW-Adhoc: Antion Biosciences announces development of safety-enhanced and off-the-shelf CAR T-cells for autoimmune disease
GENEVA, May 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Antion Biosciences (Antion), a Geneva-
based cell and gene therapy company developing "off-the-shelf" cell therapies,
announces the development of next generation anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor
(CAR) T-cells for B-cell driven autoimmune diseases.
Autoimmunity affects up to 10% of the global population, and the overall burden
of care is believed to well-exceed US $120 billion per annum. Recent findings
indicate that targeted CAR T-cell therapy is very effective in severe cases of
autoimmune disease. According to pioneer, Prof. Dr. Georg Schett, one of Time
Magazines Most Influential People in Health, "Not only are the patients in drug-
free remission, but I believe many are cured of their autoimmune disease." The
findings have sparked the interest of numerous groups, including the likes of
Novartis to pursue the opportunity.
Dr. Marco Alessandrini, PhD, CEO of Antion, believes this signals a paradigm
shift in the way autoimmune disease will be treated in future, offering unique
opportunities to create life-transforming therapies for millions. "Our approach
is to anticipate the future need and develop a product that will stand the test
of time."
Antion's "miCAR19" is a multiplex engineered therapeutic, designed to address
key constraints of existing products in development. First and foremost, it
addresses the question of patient safety. Chemotherapeutic pre-conditioning is
the status quo for all CAR T-cell products in oncology; but this is not
desirable, and in most cases unacceptable, for treating patients with autoimmune
disease. Antion's safety-enhanced product is gene engineered to circumvent the
need for pre-conditioning, while also mitigating further hyperinflammatory
risks. Being an allogenic product, it not only enables off-the-shelf provision,
but also facilitates scaled manufacturing to meet the global demand for this
potentially curative therapy.
"This is the start of a new chapter in Antion. Our technology platform has shown
its worth in our hands and in the hands of our partners, so I'm convinced we
will develop a robust product. Progressing it to clinic as rapidly as possible
is our number one priority," noted Dr. Alessandrini.
About Antion Biosciences
Antion Biosciences SA is a Swiss-based biotechnology company developing cell and
gene therapy products for the treatment of diseases with significant unmet
medical needs. Antion's proprietary technology platform allows for a modular and
tunable approach to multiplex engineering of therapeutic cells. Through
development of off-the-shelf and immune privileged products, our vision is to
broaden access to these life-changing therapies for all patients. For more
information, please visit https://www.antionbio.com.
Antion's Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements
Please note: This announcement can contain forward-looking statements based on
current expectations and projections about future events. Actual results may
differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking
statements due to various factors, including, but not limited to, market
conditions, industry trends, and operational risks.
Antion Biosciences Contact
media@antionbio.com (mailto:media@antionbio.com)
Antion Biosciences SA
Chemin des Aulx 12, CTN12
1228 Plan-les-Ouates
Geneva
Switzerland
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