INDUSTRY OUTLOOK
Globenewswire | May 29, 2023
Monte Rosa Therapeutics, Inc. a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel molecular glue degrader (MGD)-based medicines, announced its second development candidate, MRT-6160, a novel, potent, and selective molecular glue degrader of VAV1. The Company plans to file an Investigational New Drug (IND) application for MRT-6160 in the first half of 2024 and to develop the molecule as a potential treatment for autoimmune diseases.
“MRT-6160 is a potent, orally bioavailable MGD designed to degrade VAV1, an important protein involved in the signaling pathways of T and B cells. Our in vitro studies have shown that MRT-6160 selectively degrades VAV1 without detectable effects on other proteins. By targeting VAV1, MRT-6160 attenuates multiple aspects of T- and B-cell function and inhibits disease progression in established in vivo models of autoimmunity,” said Owen Wallace, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Monte Rosa. “The underlying biology and our preclinical data both demonstrate that MRT-6160 acts as an immune modulator, which has the potential to avoid the broad immune suppression seen with other approaches. We look forward to progressing our clinical plan developed with the goal of providing early insights into safety, PK and PD, and proof of concept regarding differentiated effects on key immunomodulatory signaling pathways.”
“Our goal centers on pioneering therapeutically meaningful new drugs for patients with serious diseases. By addressing VAV1, a validated but previously undruggable target, we believe we've created a potentially groundbreaking therapy for patients suffering from a range of serious autoimmune conditions, particularly those involving both T- and B cell-mediated autoimmunity,” said Markus Warmuth, M.D., CEO of Monte Rosa. “MRT-6160 is expected to be our second MGD to enter clinical trials, showcasing the continued productivity of our QuEEN™ platform. We anticipate significant progress and milestones in our portfolio in the upcoming year, including initial clinical data from our GSPT1 MGD, MRT-2359, in the second half of this year and filing of an IND application for MRT-6160 in the first half of next year.”
About Monte Rosa
Monte Rosa Therapeutics is a biotechnology company developing novel molecular glue degrader (MGD) medicines for patients with serious diseases such as oncology, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. MGDs are small molecule protein degraders that employ the body’s natural mechanisms to selectively eliminate therapeutically relevant proteins. The Company’s QuEEN™ (Quantitative and Engineered Elimination of Neosubstrates) platform enables it to rapidly identify protein targets and design highly selective degraders by combining diverse libraries of proprietary MGDs with in-house proteomics, structural biology, AI/machine learning, and computational chemistry capabilities.
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INDUSTRIAL IMPACT, MEDICAL
Molecular Assemblies, Inc. | March 15, 2023
On March 14, 2023, Molecular Assemblies, Inc., a leading life sciences company, made a significant announcement regarding its enzymatic DNA synthesis technology. The company has successfully shipped the first enzymatically synthesized oligonucleotides to leading researchers in biotechnology, academic, and synthetic biology. The capacity to synthesize lengthy, extremely pure DNA promptly utilizing a proprietary Fully Enzymatic Synthesis (FES) technology solves critical unmet demands in DNA synthesis, thus allowing demanding and high-value applications such as CRISPR gene editing.
Long, highly pure single-stranded oligonucleotides are critical in various applications, such as CRISPR gene editing tools used in therapeutic development, research discovery and protein engineering. However, the availability of desired sequences required to make advanced edits has been a significant bottleneck.
Molecular Assemblies' Key Client Program gives chosen researchers priority access to lengthy and customized oligonucleotides synthesized utilizing the company's FES technology. Thanks to this initiative, customers are expected to speed up their research in CRISPR gene editing and other applications needing long oligonucleotides. In addition, key customers can give input to shape the future of enzymatic DNA synthesis. Molecular Assemblies plans to present more details about the technology at the SynBioBeta 2023 conference in Oakland, California, from May 23-25.
Molecular Assemblies' President and CEO Michael J. Kamdar commented, "With the achievement of this significant commercial milestone, we are proving that fully enzymatic synthesis can deliver the DNA that customers want today, without compromise," He further emphasized, "Customers want application-ready DNA, unrestricted by length and sequence-complexity, which we know is essential to power new breakthroughs in scientific research and accelerate innovation for many industries, including next generation medicines and technologies."
(Source – PR Newswire)
About Molecular Assemblies, Inc.
Molecular Assemblies, Inc. is a leading company dedicated to developing enzymatic DNA synthesis technology to address key challenges in DNA synthesis. Its proprietary Fully Enzymatic Synthesis (FES) technology aims to provide an innovative solution to produce long, pure DNA quickly, efficiently, and sustainably. As a result, molecular Assemblies' FES technology has the potential to transform the field of DNA synthesis by enabling the production of high-quality, long oligonucleotides. This development has significant implications for research discovery, therapeutic development, and protein engineering, particularly in the context of CRISPR gene editing. The company was founded in 2013 and is headquartered in San Diego, California. It has received significant funding from various sources, including venture capital firms, angel investors, and government agencies.
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MEDICAL
Globenewswire | May 18, 2023
Cellectis a clinical-stage biotechnology company using its pioneering gene-editing platform to develop life-saving cell and gene therapies, today presents clinical data on its Phase 1 AMELI-01 clinical trial (evaluating UCART123) that were unveiled in an oral presentation at the 64th American Society of Hematology (ASH) annual meeting, as well as preclinical data on multiplex engineering for superior generation of CAR T-cells, at the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT) 2023 Annual Meeting.
Preliminary Clinical Data from the AMELI-01 Study Presented at ASH 2022
AMELI-01 is a Phase 1 open-label dose-escalation trial evaluating the safety, tolerability, expansion and preliminary activity of UCART123 given at escalating dose levels after lymphodepletion (LD) with either fludarabine and cyclophosphamide (FC) or FC with alemtuzumab (FCA) in patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (r/r AML).
The oral presentation reviewed preliminary data from patients who received UCART123 at one of the following dose levels: dose level 1 (DL1) 2.5x105 cells/kg; dose level 2 (DL2) 6.25x105 cells/kg; intermediate dose level 2 (DL2i) 1.5x106 cells/kg; or dose level 3 (DL3) 3.30x106 cells/kg after lymphodepletion with FC ([n=8], DL1 – DL3) or FCA ([n=9], DL2 & DL2i).
Preliminary Safety Data
The FCA LD regimen resulted in robust lymphodepletion for greater than 28 days in all patients. Seven out of nine patients demonstrated UCART123 expansion, with maximum concentration (Cmax) ranging from 13,177 to 330,530 copies/μg DNA, an almost nine-fold increase compared with FC LD, and a significant increase in area under the curve (AUC) (0-28 days) (p=0.04; FC 10.2 vs. FCA 34.9).
Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) occurred in eight patients in the FC arm and nine patients in the FCA arm. In the FC arm, one patient experienced Grade 3 immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) and two patients experienced Grade 4 protocol-defined dose limiting toxicities (DLTs) secondary to CRS. In the FCA arm, two patients experienced Grade 5 DLTs secondary to CRS.
Patient Enrollment in a 2-Dose Regimen Arm
Overall, these preliminary data support the continued administration of UCART123 after FCA lymphodepletion in patients with r/r AML. Based on observed UCART123 expansion patterns and cytokine profiles, pursuant to an amended protocol, a second dose of UCART123 is given after 10-14 days to allow for additional UCART123 expansion and clinical activity without the use of additional lymphodepletion. The UCART123 cell expansion from the second dose of UCART123, in the setting of reduced disease burden, is expected to be safe and allow for clearance of residual disease.
About Cellectis
Cellectis is a clinical-stage biotechnology company using its pioneering gene-editing platform to develop life-saving cell and gene therapies. Cellectis utilizes an allogeneic approach for CAR-T immunotherapies in oncology, pioneering the concept of off-the-shelf and ready-to-use gene-edited CAR T-cells to treat cancer patients, and a platform to make therapeutic gene editing in hemopoietic stem cells for various diseases. As a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with over 23 years of experience and expertise in gene editing, Cellectis is developing life-changing product candidates utilizing TALEN®, its gene editing technology, and PulseAgile, its pioneering electroporation system to harness the power of the immune system in order to treat diseases with unmet medical needs. Cellectis’ headquarters are in Paris, France, with locations in New York, New York and Raleigh, North Carolina. Cellectis is listed on the Nasdaq Global Market and on Euronext Growth .
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