OXFORD, England, July 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Circassia Ltd, a specialty biopharmaceutical company focused on controlling immune system responses, today announced the acquisition of a novel anti-rejection technology for use in organ transplantation. Circassia acquired the proprietary technology, known as ToleroTrans, from The University of Birmingham in the UK for an undisclosed upfront sum, plus future milestone payments and royalties on product sales. Scientifically, the ToleroTrans approach mirrors that of Circassia’s existing anti-allergy technology, by utilising T-cell epitopes to down-regulate patients’ unwanted immune responses.
“The acquisition of the ToleroTrans anti-rejection technology provides us with a unique opportunity to expand our pipeline of next generation immune control medicines,” said Steve Harris, Circassia’s CEO. “Our current anti-allergy technology works via a very similar mechanism, meaning ToleroTrans fits perfectly within our scientific focus. I am delighted that we have completed this acquisition so soon after establishing Circassia earlier this year, and believe it will prove an important step in building a broad, world-class immune control company.”
Organ transplantation is a complex medical undertaking, which requires careful tissue type matching between the donor and recipient to reduce the risk of rejection. Organ rejection can occur when the recipient’s immune system reacts strongly to protein molecules, termed antigens, present on the cells of the donated organ. The ToleroTrans technology employs specific small portions of antigen molecules, called T-cell epitopes. Scientists then test these epitopes, utilising blood samples from patients awaiting organ transplantation, to determine which have the potential to desensitize the recipient’s immune system, and thereby reduce the risk of rejection.
About ToleroTrans anti-rejection technology
The ToleroTrans technology was originally discovered in the Department of Medicine at University Hospital Birmingham by Dr Simon Ball, whose initial research focused on kidney transplantation. Originally funded by Kidney Research UK and supported by BRDL (The University of Birmingham’s technology transfer company), ToleroTrans has completed several successful in silico and in vitro studies. This research has identified a number of human T-cell epitopes with the potential to down-regulate immune responses in kidney transplant patients. Importantly these epitopes occur widely across the human population, making them broadly applicable for those awaiting transplant, and offering a key advantage over previous attempts to develop desensitization products.
Currently, kidneys account for the largest number of organ transplants undertaken. In the UK alone, there are nearly 7,000 patients on the kidney transplant waiting list, of whom approximately 30% have anti-HLA antibodies and therefore require a high level of tissue matching, which may not be achievable. While the majority of ToleroTrans research has focused on kidney transplantation to date, the approach is more broadly applicable, with potential benefits in a range of transplants.
About Circassia
Circassia is a specialty biopharmaceutical company focused on developing medicines designed to control immune system responses. The company has a highly experienced management team with a proven track record in product development and commercialisation, and having successfully completed a substantial fundraising is backed by a syndicate of internationally respected venture capital and institutional investors.
Circassia is initially focusing its expertise on curing allergies, utilising its proprietary T-cell epitope desensitization technology, which was originally developed at Imperial College London. The company has a number of ongoing development programmes, with the most advanced against cat dander allergy having successfully completed a phase II clinical trial.
For more information please visit www.circassia.co.uk.
Circassia Ltd
CONTACT: Contacts: Steve Harris, CEO, Circassia, Tel: +44-(0)-1865-784574,Mobile: +44-(0)-7802-873070; Rob Budge, RJB Communications, Tel:+44-(0)-1865-760969, Mobile: +44-(0)-7710-741241
