SAB contains world-leading experts in immunology, T-cell biology and chimeric antigen receptors
Valbonne, France, March 31, 2016 – TxCell SA (FR0010127662 – TXCL), a biotechnology company developing innovative, personalized cell immunotherapies using T regulatory (Treg) cells to treat severe chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, announces today the appointment of its new Scientific Advisory Board (“SAB”) and its primary responsibilities.
The SAB will be chaired by Professor Zelig Eshhar, from the Weizmann Institute of science in Rehovot and from the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center in Israel. Professor Eshhar pioneered the CAR (Chimeric Antigen Receptor) approach. His achievements have been recognized by several international awards, including the CAR Pioneering award by the ATTACK European Consortium, the Teva and Massry prizes and, most recently, the Israel Prize in life sciences. Professor Eshhar was the first scientist to demonstrate the therapeutic potential of Chimeric Antigen Receptor-engineered Regulatory T (CAR-Treg) cells in models of intestinal inflammation in mice. He is also the inventor of a patent application protecting the use of CAR-Treg cells for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. The patent application is under exclusive licensing option to TxCell.
The first two other members of the SAB will be Professor Chiara Bonini from the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan, Italy, and Doctor Bernard Malissen from Marseille-Luminy Immunology Center (CIML) in Marseille, France. Both Prof. Bonini and Dr. Malissen are European leaders in the field of T cell immunology. Last month, Professor Chiara Bonini reported at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS 2016) T-cell immunotherapy clinical results that created global headlines. Doctor Malissen is one of the pioneers in the field of molecular immunology in Europe and has received numerous international distinctions. He will notably bring to TxCell’s SAB his expertise in the receptor for the T lymphocyte antigen (TCR), and in antigen recognition and activation of T cells.
The fundamental purpose of the SAB will be to monitor the research and development of TxCell’s ASTrIA and ENTrIA platforms and to provide guidance where necessary. TxCell will also lever the extensive combined expertise of the SAB to further improve its knowledge of Treg cell biology and to further accelerate the development of TxCell’s existing and future drug-candidates.
“TxCell has managed to build an SAB that is unparalleled in the cell immunotherapy sector, and this matches and adds to its global leadership in the promising field of Treg cells,” said Arnaud Foussat, CSO of TxCell. “The fields of immunology, T-cell biology and chimeric antigen receptors are still emerging and developing. TxCell now has access to a knowledge and experience resource that will provide guidance to the development of our existing product pipeline. The SAB will also play a key role in helping TxCell to create novel and innovative cellular immunotherapy products to treat patients with severe auto-immune and inflammatory diseases refractory to available treatments.”
About ASTrIA
ASTrIA (Antigen Specific Treg for Inflammation and Autoimmunity) is a TxCell proprietary cellular immunotherapy product platform composed of autologous antigen specific Type 1 Regulatory T cells (Ag-Treg). Ag-Treg based products from the ASTrIA platform are produced from the peripheral blood of patients. After white blood cell isolation, CD4+ T cells are educated to recognize a specific antigen. Antigen educated Treg cells are then isolated and expanded ex vivo. Ovasave(R), the first Ag-Treg product candidate from the ASTrIA platform, has been developed for the treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and is composed of ovalbumin-specific Type 1 Treg cells. Ovasave is currently in a European Phase IIb clinical study in severe Crohn’s Disease, entitled CATS29. Col-Treg is the second candidate from the ASTrIA platform and is composed of type-2 Collagen-specific Type 1 Treg cells. Col-Treg is developed for the treatment of steroid-refractory non-infectious uveitis. About ENTrIA ENTrIA (Engineered Treg for Inflammation and Autoimmunity) is the second TxCell proprietary cellular immunotherapy product platform and is composed of Chimeric Antigen Receptor engineered Foxp3+ Regulatory T cells (CAR-Treg). After their isolation from the blood of patients, Foxp3+ Treg cells are genetically modified by transduction with Chimeric Antigen Receptors (CAR). The CAR introduced into FoxP3+ Treg cells is designed to allow Foxp3+ Treg cell activation and immuno-modulation through in vivo recognition of a protein present in inflamed areas in patients suffering from autoimmune and chronic inflammatory diseases.
About TxCell – www.txcell.com
TxCell is a publicly listed biotechnology company that develops platforms for innovative, personalized T cell immunotherapies for the treatment of severe chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases with high unmet medical need. TxCell is the only clinical stage cellular therapy company dedicated to the science of regulatory T lymphocytes (Tregs). Tregs are a recently discovered T cell population for which anti-inflammatory properties have been demonstrated. Ovasave(R), TxCell’s lead product candidate, is currently in a phase IIb clinical trial in refractory Crohn’s disease patients. Col-Treg, its second product candidate, for the treatment of autoimmune uveitis, is expected to enter in clinical studies in the near future. Based in Sophia-Antipolis, France, TxCell is listed on Euronext Paris and currently has 49 employees.
