TxCell announces preclinical efficacy results for Col-Treg in autoimmune uveitis

Preclinical efficacy results for Col-Treg, TxCell’s second therapeutic candidate from its ASTrIA platform, in a model of autoimmune (non-infectious) uveitis are to be published in October.

The published study evaluated the therapeutic potential of Col-Treg immunotherapy for the treatment of non-infectious uveitis using in vitro and in vivo assays. Specifically, in vivo administration of Col-Treg in the model of autoimmune uveitis significantly inhibited clinical symptoms, retinal tissue lesions as well as ocular proinflammatory cell infiltration. In addition, authors dissected the mechanism of action of Col-Treg and showed that cells are using several distinct immune-regulatory pathways to dampen inflammation. 

Col-Treg is a personalised T cell immunotherapy product, based on the properties of autologous collagen II-specific regulatory T lymphocytes. In addition, Col-Treg has shown very promising preclinical efficacy and tolerability data in models of inflammatory arthritis.

Results demonstrate therapeutic potential of Col-Treg

“Following the previous demonstration of Col-Treg preclinical efficacy in models of inflammatory arthritis, these results published in IOVS demonstrate the therapeutic potential of Col-Treg in non-infectious uveitis and will support its ongoing clinical development,” said Arnaud Foussat, Chief Scientific Officer of TxCell. “The support TxCell has seen from the ophthalmologic community provides additional confirmation of the potential of, and requirement for, Col-Treg as a much needed new potential treatment for autoimmune uveitis, a rare and debilitating eye disease with very limited therapeutic options. There are approximately 30,000 autoimmune uveitis patients per year that are refractory to approved steroids treatments in the US and EU alone and this is a clear unmet medical need.”

Col-Treg has been classified as an Advanced Therapy Medicinal Product by the European Medicine Agency (EMA). Col-Treg has also received an Orphan Drug Designation for the treatment of non-infectious (autoimmune) uveitis from the EMA in December 2014. A first-in-man clinical study with Col-Treg for severe autoimmune uveitis patients that become refractory to steroid compounds, is scheduled to start in 2016.

The results are being published in an article entitled “Inhibition of non-infectious uveitis using intravenous administration of collagen-II specific Type 1 regulatory (Col-Treg) T cells” in Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science (IOVS).