Equillium Announces Presentation at the 3rd Annual Cytokine-Based Drug Development Summit

LA JOLLA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Equillium, Inc. (Nasdaq: EQ), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing novel therapeutics to treat severe autoimmune and inflammatory disorders with high unmet medical need, today announced a presentation at the 3rd Annual Cytokine-Based Drug Development Summit. The presentation highlights Equillium’s multi-cytokine inhibitor technology and platform, and applications of cytokine technology beyond oncology. Data on the platform, including the lead tri-specific inhibitory agent, EQ101, were presented by Dr. Stephen Connelly, co-founder and chief scientific officer of Equillium. The Summit is taking place at the Wyndham Boston Beacon Hill and runs July 26 – 29.

“Cytokines play a critical role in inflammation, autoimmunity and cancer, and modulating their activity has become central to how we think about developing innovative treatments for these diseases,” said Dr. Connelly. “This Summit is a great forum to showcase the pre-clinical, translational and clinical data supporting EQ101 a novel, first-in-class tri-specific cytokine inhibitor in the treatment of neoplastic and inflammatory skin diseases. This data also provides translational support for our upcoming clinical catalysts: a planned Phase 2 clinical study of EQ101 in alopecia areata and a Phase 1 SAD/MAD study of EQ102 – a novel first-in-class bi-specific cytokine inhibitor – in normal healthy volunteers, as well as celiac disease patients. Both studies are scheduled to commence later this year.”

The presentation, titled “Targeting Biological Synergy At the Receptor Level – Multi-specific

Cytokine Inhibitors”, focuses on the design and development of multi-specific cytokine inhibitors and the importance of targeting biological synergy to optimize therapeutic outcomes. Validation of this approach is demonstrated with EQ101, a novel, first-in-class tri-specific cytokine inhibitor that can selectively target and potently inhibit the key common yc family cytokines of IL-2, IL-9 and IL-15. Translational studies have shown that EQ101 inhibits these cytokines and exhibits potent activity in suppressing multiple lymphoproliferative or leukemic T-cell lines. Furthermore, clinical efficacy and a favorable safety profile has been demonstrated in patients with refractory cutaneous T cell lymphoma. In addition to applications in oncology, translational studies of EQ101 in an inflammatory skin disease model have highlighted the potential to treat skin diseases such as atopic dermatitis, alopecia areata and vitiligo. Selectively targeting these key cytokines at a receptor level may provide a more potent and selective approach than direct JAK inhibition.

The presentation is available under the technology section of the company website on the presentations page.

About Multi-Cytokine Platform: EQ101 & EQ102

Our proprietary multi-cytokine platform (MCP) generates rationally designed composite peptides that selectively block key cytokines at the shared receptor level targeting pathogenic cytokine redundancies and synergies while preserving non-pathogenic signaling. This approach provides multi-cytokine inhibition at the receptor level and is expected to avoid the broad immuno-suppression and off-target safety liabilities that may be associated with other therapeutic classes, such as JAK inhibitors. Many immune-mediated diseases are driven by the same combination of dysregulated cytokines, and we believe identifying the key cytokines for these diseases will allow us to target and develop customized treatment strategies for multiple autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

Current MCP assets include EQ101, a first-in-class, tri-specific inhibitor of IL-2, IL-9 and IL-15, and EQ102, a first-in-class, selective inhibitor of IL-15 and IL-21.

About Equillium

Equillium is a clinical-stage biotechnology company leveraging a deep understanding of immunobiology to develop novel therapeutics to treat severe autoimmune and inflammatory disorders with high unmet medical need. The company’s pipeline consists of the following novel immunomodulatory assets targeting immuno-inflammatory pathways. Itolizumab, a first-in-class monoclonal antibody that targets the CD6-ALCAM signaling pathway which plays a central role in the modulation of effector T cells, is currently in a Phase 3 study for patients with acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) and is in a Phase 1b study for patients with lupus/lupus nephritis. EQ101, a first-in-class tri-specific cytokine inhibitor that selectively targets IL-2, IL-9, and IL-15, is Phase 2 ready and expected to begin enrolling patients in an alopecia areata study in the second half of 2022. EQ102, a bi-specific cytokine inhibitor that selectively targets IL-15 and IL-21, is ready for clinical development and expected to begin enrolling patients in a Phase 1 study anticipated to include normal healthy volunteers and celiac disease patients in the second half of 2022.

For more information, visit www.equilliumbio.com.

Forward Looking Statements

Statements contained in this press release regarding matters that are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “could”, “continue”, “expect”, “estimate”, “may”, “plan”, “outlook”, “future” and “project” and other similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside of the Company’s control, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such statements include, but are not limited to statements regarding the potential benefit of EQ101 and EQ102, Equillium’s plans and expected timing for developing EQ101 and EQ102 including the expected timing of initiating, completing and announcing further results from Phase 2 and Phase 1 studies, respectively, the potential for any of Equillium’s ongoing or planned clinical studies to show safety or efficacy, Equillium’s anticipated timing of regulatory review and feedback, and Equillium’s plans and expected timing for developing its product candidates and potential benefits of its product candidates. Risks that contribute to the uncertain nature of the forward-looking statements include: uncertainties related to the abilities of the leadership team to perform as expected; Equillium’s ability to execute its plans and strategies; risks related to performing clinical studies; potential delays in the commencement, enrollment and completion of clinical studies and the reporting of data therefrom; the risk that studies will not be completed as planned; Equillium’s plans and product development, including the initiation and completion of clinical studies and the reporting of data therefrom; whether the results from clinical studies will validate and support the safety and efficacy of Equillium’s product candidates; changes in the competitive landscape; uncertainties related to Equillium’s capital requirements; and having to use cash in ways or on timing other than expected and the impact of market volatility on cash reserves. These and other risks and uncertainties are described more fully under the caption “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in Equillium’s filings and reports, which may be accessed for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC web site at http://www.sec.gov and on the Company’s website under the heading “Investors.” Investors should take such risks into account and should not rely on forward-looking statements when making investment decisions. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made. Equillium undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.

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