Company’s multiple sclerosis Imotope™ shows promising preclinical efficacy and histology results while eliciting immune responses supporting the proposed mode of action and providing proof of concept
Company’s multiple sclerosis Imotope™ shows promising preclinical efficacy and histology results while eliciting immune responses supporting the proposed mode of action and providing proof of concept
Liège, Belgium, September 12, 2019 – Imcyse, a clinical-stage company developing active and specific immunotherapeutics for the treatment and prevention of severe chronic diseases, today announces the presentation of a poster describing results obtained in the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis model (EAE), the widely used model for multiple sclerosis (MS).
Results of the experiments have shown an excellent inhibition of disease development, a statistically significant histological improvement and immunological markers supporting the mode of action.
The poster (P982) will be presented at ECTRIMS, Stockholm, Sweden by Dr David Walgraffe on September 12, during poster session 2, from 5:15pm to 7:15pm CEST.
Imcyse’s unique technology platform is based on specifically modified peptides (Imotopes™) which drive the generation of cytolytic CD4 T cells. These cytolytic CD4 T cells are able to actively and specifically target the immune cells involved in the pathogenesis of the respective autoimmune disease. There is potential with this therapy to disrupt undesirable autoimmune responses that drive the myelin sheath destruction and to stop disease progression in MS.
Imcyse’s MS Imotope™ is the company’s second most advanced product candidate after the type 1 diabetes (T1D) Imotope™ IMCY-0098. Imcyse is currently preparing for a phase 1-2 clinical study with an MS Imotope™.
Imcyse recently announced the successful completion of a phase 1-2 clinical study in 41 adult patients with insulin-dependent T1D diagnosed within six months prior to inclusion. It took place in seven European countries: Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Lithuania, Sweden and the UK. Treated patients within all dose groups of Imcyse T1D Imotope™showed no signs of disease exacerbation and no major treatment-related safety issues. The secondary objective of the study was to assess clinical responses by monitoring disease activity in patients; trends towards better outcomes in higher dose cohorts were reported. In addition, Imotope™-induced cytolytic CD4 T cells were detected in humans, along with a concomitant decrease in effector T cells involved in the disease mechanism of T1D.
“The positive results of the Imcyse MS Imotope™ in the EAE model are very encouraging,” said Thomas Taapken, executive chairman of Imcyse. “After the positive clinical results in T1D, they further validate Imcyse’s unique technology platform.”
The MS program has received financial support from the Walloon Region (DGO6).
About Imcyse
Imcyse develops active targeted immunotherapies to treat and prevent severe chronic diseases caused by disruptions of the immune system. The company’s unique active immunotherapy technology platform allows it to locally target immune cells involved in the destruction of the diseased organ. This platform is based on the administration of Imotopes™, which are specifically modified peptides, allowing for the generation of cytolytic CD4 T cells. Imcyse’s approach, sustained over time, helps to prevent and treat diseases with no current therapeutic alternative and to potentially cure patients without impairing immune defense. The company has established proof of concept in several indications and has completed its first clinical trial in type 1 diabetes in seven European countries. Beyond type 1 diabetes, Imcyse is developing a pipeline of Imotopes™ for the treatment of several autoimmune diseases. Based in Liège, Belgium, Imcyse was originally founded in 2010 as a spin-off from the KU Leuven, Belgium.
