Combination brings an additional therapeutic modality into Treadwell�s growing pre-clinical pipeline of first in class agents and proprietary platforms
Initial TCRyption programs could enter the clinic in early 2023
NEW YORK & HONG KONG--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Treadwell Therapeutics today announced the acquisition of TCRyption Inc., a company focusing on novel approaches to TCR based T cell therapy and a TIO Bioventures portfolio company. The stock swap brings the unique and powerful TCRypt platform technology as well as a large number of TCR candidates with potential anti-cancer utility into Treadwell�s growing and highly productive R&D organization. The platform can be used to identify TCRs recognizing a diverse array of epitopes regardless of haplotype with unmatched sensitivity and speed. Treadwell scientists will leverage the technology to build a large bank of TCRs recognizing a variety of epitopes. Initial clinical studies of TCRs from the bank could commence in early 2023.
Currently available approaches of autologous TCR-based cell therapy focus on TCRs recognizing HLA-A2 restricted epitopes, alleles well represented in Caucasian populations. Although durable remissions have been observed in TCR-transgenic T cells that are HLA-A2 restricted, particularly those recognizing NY-ESO-1, inclusion criteria of HLA-A2 can limit patient enrolment and commercial opportunity. Using a diverse set of proprietary tools, the TCRypt platform allows for the identification of TCRs that are beyond HLA-A2 restricted and recognize a diverse set of class I and II alleles, including haplotypes that are highly prevalent in Asian populations.
TCRyption, Inc. was originally formed with an initial $10 million in seed financing from TIO Bioventures. The founders of TCRyption included visionary pioneers of T cell Biology, such as Drs. Mark Davis and Tak Mak, who co-discovered the T cell receptor, Dr. Naoto Hirano, who developed the TCRypt platform, and Dr. Pamela Ohashi. The Board of Directors and shareholders of Treadwell and TCRyption unanimously approved the combination.
�We�re excited to bring this unique technology into Treadwell�s diverse portfolio of first in class medicines,� said Dr. Michael Tusche, co-CEO of Treadwell Therapeutics. �We believe that the TCRypt platform will allow us to move beyond the narrow focus on HLA-A2 restricted epitopes, and greatly expand the patient populations that can be addressed by this approach. We hope to enter the clinic with several non-A2 restricted TCRs in different tumor types in early 2023.�
�By combining Treadwell with TCRyption, we expect to realize substantial operational efficiencies and better leverage our rapidly growing and talented global R&D organization,� added Dr. Shane Burgess, Treadwell Chairman and co-CEO.
About Treadwell Therapeutics
Treadwell Therapeutics is a science driven, clinical-stage multi-modality oncology company developing first-in-class and best-in-class medicines to address unmet needs in patients with cancer.
The Company�s robust, internally developed pipeline includes a first-in-class PLK4 kinase inhibitor, CFI-400945 and a best-in-class TTK inhibitor, CFI-402257, and CFI-402411, an oral immunomodulatory kinase inhibitor with activity toward HPK1 in Phase 1/2 studies. Treadwell also has a robust pre-clinical pipeline with multiple Biologic and next generation TCR based autologous cell therapy programs. For more information, please visit www.treadwelltx.com.
About TIO Bioventures
TIO Bioventures is a boutique venture creation firm focused on funding the advancement of innovative Healthcare companies that are guided by its principles of employing rigorous science to create first-in-class cancer medicines that improve outcomes and enhance quality of life for patients with unmet needs.
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