Imcyse joins network of academic researchers, industry representatives and patients in collaboration to fight T1D
Consortium of 40 partners under the framework of the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) offers Imcyse greater access to T1D patient populations, a platform for scientific knowledge exchange and technical approaches to further decipher its MoA.
Liège, Belgium, March 04, 2020 – Imcyse a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of a new class of active, specific immunotherapies for the treatment of severe chronic autoimmune diseases, today announced that it has joined the consortium INNODIA, a private public partnership against type 1 diabetes (T1D) along with 5 other new partners of the T1D network.
Imcyse Executive Chairman, Thomas Taapken commented, “We are proud to be a member of the INNODIA global network and excited to add Imcyse’s knowledge and experience based on our unique active immunotherapy technology platform to the consortium in the joint fight against type 1 diabetes. We aim to leverage our partnership to increase engagement of leading scientists and clinicians in the field and gain broader access to patient populations as we prepare for a phase II study of our lead candidate IMCY-0098.”
“INNODIA is delighted for Imcyse to join our network bringing the consortium to a total of 40 academic researchers, industrial partners and foundations,” said Prof. Dr. Chantal Mathieu INNODIA. “We look forward to new collaborations amongst our partners as we transform our standardized clinical and bioresource platforms into a high-performance clinical trial network, running academic and industry-driven trials alongside small, mechanism-centric, biomarker-rich intervention trials to examine pathobiological pathways to T1D.”
Solving the mysteries of T1D with the INNODIA network
T1D is a chronic disease that affects around 17 million people worldwide. While T1D can present at any age, it primarily affects children and adolescences, leaving them dependent on external insulin. The exact cause of T1D is currently unknown. The goal of INNODIA is to gain insights into the path of beta-cell destruction, in order to better understand the disease and the autoimmune destruction of the beta-cells in the pancreas.
Imcyse recently completed a phase Ib study with their insulin-derived Imotope™ IMCY-0098, which showed an excellent safety profile and promising clinical trends. Specifically modified peptides or Imotopes™ drive the generation of cytolytic CD4 T-cells, which are then able to actively and specifically target the immune cells involved in the pathogenesis of the respective autoimmune disease. The potential to disrupt undesirable autoimmune responses that drive the process of destruction of the insulin producing beta cells in the pancreas, and to stop disease progression in T1D, can be achieved with this therapy. As the Company prepares for a phase II trial, Imcyse hopes to benefit from their partnership with INNODIA to deepen engagement of leading scientists and clinicians in the field through high level scientific exchanges and gain better access to a larger patient pool as well as technical approaches to further decipher its mechanism of action.
ABOUT IMCYSE
Imcyse is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of a new class of active specific immunotherapies for the treatment of severe chronic autoimmune diseases. The company’s unique technology platform allows it to locally target immune cells involved in the destruction of the diseased organ. This platform is based on the administration of Imotopes™, which are specifically modified peptides, allowing for the generation of cytolytic CD4 T-cells, that specifically eliminate antigen-presenting cells and autoantigen specific lymphocytes. Imcyse’s approach, sustained over time, helps to prevent and treat diseases with no current therapeutic alternative and to potentially cure patients without impairing the overall immune defence. The company has established proof of concept in several indications and has completed its first clinical trial in type 1 diabetes with promising results. Beyond type 1 diabetes, Imcyse is developing a pipeline of Imotopes™ for the treatment of different autoimmune diseases. Based in Liège, Belgium, Imcyse was originally founded in 2010 as a spin-off from the KU Leuven, Belgium.
www.imcyse.com
ABOUT INNODIA
INNODIA is a global partnership between 31 academic institutions, 6 industrial partners, two foundations and one SME (Small to mid-size enterprise), bringing their knowledge and experience together with one common goal: "To fight type 1 diabetes". The project runs under the framework of the Innovative Medicines Initiative – Joint Undertaking (IMI-JU) with a dedicated governance structure ensuring close interaction, communication and adherence to the objectives and deliverables of the consortium. Importantly, INNODIA is closely guided by the patients themselves, through the Patient Advisory Committee, consisting of a group of type 1 diabetes patients and parents, which give continuous feedback on the concept of INNODIA and development of protocols, and are crucial in disseminating the goals of INNODIA to the public. www.innodia.eu
