Cimeio Therapeutics, a biotechnology company developing a novel approach to cell therapies, today announced the U.S. Patent Office has issued a key patent covering the company’s Shielded-Cell & Immunotherapy Pairs platform.
U.S. Patent No. 11,499,168 covers a method for in vivo selective depletion of edited primary hematopoietic cells or non-edited primary hematopoietic cells. This method was first discovered and developed in the lab of company founder Lukas Jeker, M.D., Ph.D., at the University of Basel, and is exclusively licensed to Cimeio.
“This comprehensive intellectual property provides broad protection for our platform. We believe this patent, along with those we’ve filed for our target antigen and immunotherapy portfolio, cements us as a leader in the emerging field of cell shielding and will enable the broad development of our SCIP platform.”
Cimeio CEO Thomas Fuchs
Cimeio uses genome editing to insert novel protein variants into hematopoietic stem cells or other types of cells, allowing the cells to maintain their function while making them resistant to paired immunotherapy depletion. Cimeio’s platform has effectively shielded cells from depletion mediated by antibodies, T-cell engagers, ADCs, and CAR-T cells in preclinical studies.
The company is advancing its first programs towards clinical development for genetic and malignant hematologic diseases. As previously disclosed, two posters for the company’s pipeline programs will be presented at the American Society of Hematology meeting in December 2022 in New Orleans.
About Cimeio
Cimeio is an applied gene editing and immunotherapy company developing a portfolio of Shielded-Cell & Immunotherapy Pairs® which has the potential to transform hematopoietic stem cell transplant. Cimeio’s technology platform is based on the design and expression of modified variants of naturally occurring cell surface proteins in HSCs. These novel variants maintain their function but are resistant to depletion when targeted by a paired immunotherapy which has high affinity for the wild-type version of these proteins. This technology has significant therapeutic potential, which Cimeio is using to develop curative treatments for patients with genetic diseases, hematologic malignancies, and severe autoimmune disorders.