Valbonne, France, May 26, 2016 – TxCell SA (FR0010127662 – TXCL), a biotechnology company developing innovative, personalized cellular immunotherapies using regulatory T cells (Treg) to treat severe chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, today announces the presentation of novel mechanism of action data for its lead drug candidate Ovasave(R), as well as latest results from TxCell’s second technology platform, ENTrIA. The data will be divulged at two poster presentations at the International Society for Cell Therapy (ISCT) 2016 Annual Meeting, held from May 25 to 28, 2016, in Singapore.
Miguel Forte, Chief Operating Officer of TxCell and Chief Commercialization Officer of the ISCT, will contribute to the annual meeting alongside two scientists from his department at TxCell, Nathalie Belmonte and Julie Gertner-Dardenne.
The two posters to be presented by TxCell at the ISCT 2016 Annual Meeting are:
• ‘Clinical efficiency of antigen-specific Tregs linked to invasive potential through lytic molecule expression’ (poster N°176). Julie Gertner-Dardenne will present the results of her TxCell research team studying the mechanism of action of TxCell’s lead drug candidate Ovasave(R) based on clinical batches from the first-in-man Phase I/II CATS1 study. These analyses show a correlation between the expression of granzyme molecules and clinical efficacy. Granzyme molecules are proteins that are released by specific immune cells. They are critical to induce programmed cell death (apoptosis) and play an important role in the immune defense system against viruses, tumors and intracellular bacteria. Experiments recently performed at TxCell show that the role of granzyme molecules in the Ovasave(R) mechanism involves mainly cell invasion through degradation of the extracellular matrix proteins, in addition to their cytotoxic role.
• ‘Regulatory T cell engineered with Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR-Treg) for Inflammatory and Autoimmune diseases’ (poster N°162). Nathalie Belmonte will present results obtained with ENTrIA, TxCell’s second technology platform, composed of Chimeric Antigen Receptor engineered FoxP3+ Regulatory T cells (CAR-Treg). TxCell’s results demonstrate that extracellular macromolecules are able to trigger CAR mediated intracellular signalling in Treg cells. These data demonstrate that, in addition to surface bound molecular entities such as CD19 used for CAR-T cell activation in cancer, extracellular macromolecules can be suitable for triggering CAR activation on Treg cells. These extracellular macromolecules can be used to induce the local activation of CAR-Treg cells for the treatment of auto-immune and inflammatory diseases.
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 drug candidate, is currently in a Phase IIb clinical trial in refractory Crohn’s disease patients. Col-Treg, its second drug candidate, is in preclinical development for the treatment of autoimmune uveitis. Based in Sophia-Antipolis, France, TxCell is listed on Euronext Paris and currently has 50 employees.
Miguel Forte, Chief Operating Officer of TxCell and Chief Commercialization Officer of the ISCT, will contribute to the annual meeting alongside two scientists from his department at TxCell, Nathalie Belmonte and Julie Gertner-Dardenne.
The two posters to be presented by TxCell at the ISCT 2016 Annual Meeting are:
• ‘Clinical efficiency of antigen-specific Tregs linked to invasive potential through lytic molecule expression’ (poster N°176). Julie Gertner-Dardenne will present the results of her TxCell research team studying the mechanism of action of TxCell’s lead drug candidate Ovasave(R) based on clinical batches from the first-in-man Phase I/II CATS1 study. These analyses show a correlation between the expression of granzyme molecules and clinical efficacy. Granzyme molecules are proteins that are released by specific immune cells. They are critical to induce programmed cell death (apoptosis) and play an important role in the immune defense system against viruses, tumors and intracellular bacteria. Experiments recently performed at TxCell show that the role of granzyme molecules in the Ovasave(R) mechanism involves mainly cell invasion through degradation of the extracellular matrix proteins, in addition to their cytotoxic role.
• ‘Regulatory T cell engineered with Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR-Treg) for Inflammatory and Autoimmune diseases’ (poster N°162). Nathalie Belmonte will present results obtained with ENTrIA, TxCell’s second technology platform, composed of Chimeric Antigen Receptor engineered FoxP3+ Regulatory T cells (CAR-Treg). TxCell’s results demonstrate that extracellular macromolecules are able to trigger CAR mediated intracellular signalling in Treg cells. These data demonstrate that, in addition to surface bound molecular entities such as CD19 used for CAR-T cell activation in cancer, extracellular macromolecules can be suitable for triggering CAR activation on Treg cells. These extracellular macromolecules can be used to induce the local activation of CAR-Treg cells for the treatment of auto-immune and inflammatory diseases.
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 drug candidate, is currently in a Phase IIb clinical trial in refractory Crohn’s disease patients. Col-Treg, its second drug candidate, is in preclinical development for the treatment of autoimmune uveitis. Based in Sophia-Antipolis, France, TxCell is listed on Euronext Paris and currently has 50 employees.
