TxCell teams up with UBC on human CAR-Treg cells in a preclinical model of transplantation

French biotech firm TxCell (Euronext Paris: TXCL), which is developing innovative, personalized cellular immunotherapies using regulatory T cells (Treg) to treat severe chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, has signed a strategic R&D collaboration agreement with the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, Canada, a leading global center for multidisciplinary research and teaching.

“As stated in our recent strategic update, TxCell continues to intensify its efforts on its ENTrIA platform of engineered regulatory T cells. TxCell has launched a third CAR-Treg collaboration in order to strengthen its recently initiated transplantation program,” said Stéphane Boissel, chief executive of TxCell, adding: “Thanks to TxCell’s unparalleled expertise in the Treg space, we have secured access to the most advanced CAR-Treg programs worldwide. We expect this to help us achieve our goal of launching a first-in-man clinical study with a first CAR-Treg in 2018.”

This collaboration agreement covers the development of a CAR-Treg-based cellular immunotherapy for the prevention of graft rejection in the context of Solid Organ Transplantation (SOT). Activities relating to this program will be primarily conducted in the UBC laboratories. The activities will be led by Professor Megan Levings, who earlier this year established a first preclinical proof of concept with human HLA-A2-specific CAR-Treg cells in a preclinical transplantation mode. UBC will conduct non-clinical pharmacology studies with CAR-Treg cells with the aim of initiating a first-in-man study in transplantation patients as soon as possible.