Novel anti-fibrotic engineered macrophage
therapy reduced liver fibrosis in preclinical models
Development candidate nomination expected in
the first quarter of 2025
PHILADELPHIA, May 8, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- Carisma Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: CARM)
("Carisma" or the "Company"), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical
company focused on discovering and developing innovative
immunotherapies, today announced new data demonstrating preclinical
proof of concept using engineered anti-fibrotic macrophages
for the treatment of liver fibrosis. The data was presented in a
poster session at the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy
(ASGCT) 2024 Annual Meeting on May 8,
2024, in Baltimore, MD.
"We are pleased to unveil preclinical proof of concept data for
our liver fibrosis program, which highlight the potential of
engineered macrophages to combat a prevalent disease that is
associated with late-stage metabolic
dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and
represents a significant unmet need," said Michael Klichinsky, PharmD, PhD, Co-founder and
Chief Scientific Officer of Carisma. "The data, from two
independent models, demonstrate that engineered macrophages
trafficked to fibrotic tissues, expressed genetically encoded
disease-modifying payloads, and significantly reduced fibrosis in
the liver. Given these encouraging data, we look forward to further
progressing the liver fibrosis program, which is our first
expansion outside of oncology."
In the presentation titled "Genetically Engineered Macrophage
Cell Therapy Reverses Liver and Lung Fibrosis in Preclinical
Models," Carisma presented preclinical proof-of-concept data for
engineered macrophage cell therapy in liver fibrosis. In liver
models, the data showed that a single dose of macrophages
co-expressing the anti-fibrotic factor relaxin and the
anti-inflammatory cytokine IL10 significantly improved established
fibrosis in a CCl4-induced liver fibrosis model, with a 116%
reduction in fibrosis relative to untreated control. Also, systemic
administration of engineered macrophages co-expressing relaxin and
IL10 significantly reduced liver fibrosis in a high fat diet MASH
model, with a 45% reduction in fibrosis relative to untreated
control. In both models, the relaxin-IL10 macrophage treatment also
resulted in a greater reduction in liver fibrosis compared to
non-engineered macrophages.
The presentation also included initial data for the use of
engineered macrophages in pulmonary fibrosis. The data showed that
a single dose of macrophages expressing a dominant negative TGFβ
receptor, which nullified pro-fibrotic TGFβ signaling in the lung,
prevented fibrosis in a bleomycin mouse model of pulmonary
fibrosis, with a 90% reduction in fibrosis relative to untreated
control.
Carisma expects to nominate a development candidate for its
liver fibrosis program in the first quarter of 2025.
The poster presented at ASGCT 2024 is now available online in
the "Publications" section of Carisma's website at
https://carismatx.com/technology/publications/
About Carisma
Carisma Therapeutics Inc. is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical
company focused on utilizing our proprietary macrophage and
monocyte cell engineering platform to develop transformative
immunotherapies to treat cancer and other serious diseases. We have
created a comprehensive, differentiated proprietary cell therapy
platform focused on engineered macrophages and monocytes, cells
that play a crucial role in both the innate and adaptive immune
response. Carisma is headquartered in Philadelphia, PA. For more information, please
visit www.carismatx.com.
Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking
Statements
Statements in this press release about future
expectations, plans and prospects, as well as any other statements
regarding matters that are not historical facts, may constitute
"forward-looking statements" within the meaning of The Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include,
but are not limited to, statements relating to Carisma's business,
strategy, future operations, cash runway, the advancement of
Carisma's product candidates and product pipeline, and clinical
development of Carisma's product candidates, including expectations
regarding timing of initiation and results of clinical trials. The
words "anticipate," "believe," "contemplate," "continue," "could,"
"estimate," "expect," "goals," "intend," "may," "might," "outlook,"
"plan," "project," "potential," "predict," "target," "possible,"
"will," "would," "could," "should," and similar expressions are
intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all
forward-looking statements contain these identifying words.
Any forward-looking statements are based on management's current
expectations of future events and are subject to a number of risks
and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ
materially and adversely from those set forth in, or implied by,
such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties
include, but are not limited to, (i) Carisma's ability to obtain,
maintain and protect its intellectual property rights related to
its product candidates; (ii) Carisma's ability to advance the
development of its product candidates under the timelines it
anticipates in planned and future clinical trials and with its
current financial and human resources; (iii) Carisma's ability to
replicate in later clinical trials positive results found in
preclinical studies and early-stage clinical trials of its product
candidates; (iv) Carisma's ability to realize the anticipated
benefits of its research and development programs, strategic
partnerships, research and licensing programs and academic and
other collaborations; (v) regulatory requirements or developments
and Carisma's ability to obtain and maintain necessary approvals
from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other regulatory
authorities related to its product candidates; (vi) changes to
clinical trial designs and regulatory pathways; (vii) risks
associated with Carisma's ability to manage expenses; (viii)
changes in capital resource requirements; (ix) risks related to the
inability of Carisma to obtain sufficient additional capital to
continue to advance its product candidates and its preclinical
programs; and (x) legislative, regulatory, political and economic
developments.
For a discussion of these risks and uncertainties, and other
important factors, any of which could cause Carisma's actual
results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking
statements, see the "Risk Factors" set forth in the Company's
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, as well as discussions of
potential risks, uncertainties, and other important factors in
Carisma's other recent filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission. Any forward-looking statements that are made in this
press release speak as of the date of this press release. Carisma
undertakes no obligation to revise the forward-looking statements
or to update them to reflect events or circumstances occurring
after the date of this press release, whether as a result of new
information, future developments or otherwise, except as required
by the federal securities laws.
Investors:
Shveta
Dighe
Head of Investor Relations
investors@carismatx.com
Media Contact:
Julia
Stern
(763) 350-5223
jstern@realchemistry.com
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SOURCE Carisma Therapeutics Inc.