Avalon GloboCare Expands AVA-Trap™ Program to Treat COVID-19 and CAR-T Related Cytokine Storms
August 12 2020 - 9:00AM
Avalon GloboCare Corp. (NASDAQ: AVCO) (Avalon or The Company), a
clinical-stage global developer of cell-based technologies and
therapeutics, announced today that Avalon has expanded and filed
two provisional patents with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
outlining compositions and methods of developing a decoy cytokine
receptor-based filter system to treat “cytokine storms.”
These provisional patent applications are direct results of
recent advancements related to Avalon’s AVA-Trap™ therapeutic
program. The technology utilizes cytokine receptor–Fc-fusion
proteins to potentially serve as an antibody-like decoy to dampen
the excessive cytokine release that occurs during hyper-activation
of the immune system—a life-threatening condition called “cytokine
storm” that can cause multi-organ failure and death.
Patients infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19
are susceptible to developing cytokine storms, which occur when the
immune system suddenly produces high levels of inflammatory
proteins called cytokines that concentrate in the blood. The
extracorporeal hemo-purifier device is designed to provide
potential treatment for patients experiencing cytokine storms
induced by COVID-19, hepatitis, HIV, influenza, graft-versus-host
disease, and cytokine release syndrome associated with CAR-T cell
therapy.
The expanded patent application was jointly filed with Professor
Shuguang Zhang of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Media Lab, and Professor Uwe Sleytr, a full member of the Austrian
Academy of Sciences and pioneer of applied surface layer
(“S-layer”) nanotechnology.
The application combines Avalon’s AVA-Trap™ program with
two innovative technologies. The first is the QTY code protein
design platform, which was developed together with Professor
Shuguang Zhang’s laboratory at MIT. This technology platform can
turn water-insoluble proteins that normally reside within cellular
membranes—and that can be difficult to work within the
laboratory—into water-soluble proteins that can be used in many
clinical applications. The second technology is applied S-layer
nanotechnology, based on the repetitive protein structures that
make up the outer surface of microbial cells. Coating of
S-layers on solid surfaces can greatly enhance the binding
orientation and efficiency of targeted ligand proteins that are
directed to bind to, and capture, molecules of choice in the
blood.
Together, Avalon is developing these unique technologies to
advance an extracorporeal hemodialysis and hemo-purification device
consisting of membrane protein receptors for specific cytokines
coated onto an S-layer-based matrix that can be used to
specifically filter out cytokines responsible for a “cytokine
storms” in patients experiencing this immune system attack on the
body, including patients with COVID-19.
While non-specific blood filtration systems exist, the clinical
AVA-Trap™ blood filtration system would specifically target
cytokine storm-causing proteins, allowing the detection and
recovery of cytokines—and serving as a potential clinical therapy
as well as a diagnostic tool. Importantly, it is the Company’s goal
to develop a filtration system that can be customized to trap only
specific molecules.
“We are grateful for our strong scientific partnerships that
enabled the rapid speed with which we are developing this novel
clinical tool,” stated David Jin, M.D., Ph.D., President and Chief
Executive Officer of Avalon. “This medical device holds enormous
promise as it directly addresses a leading cause of mortality for
patients with illnesses that make them vulnerable to the damaging
effects of a cytokine storm,” added Dr. Jin.
About Avalon GloboCare Corp.
Avalon GloboCare Corp. (NASDAQ: AVCO) is a clinical-stage,
vertically-integrated, leading CellTech bio-developer dedicated to
advancing and empowering innovative, transformative immune effector
cell therapy, exosome technology, as well as COVID-19 related
diagnostics and therapeutics. Avalon also provides strategic
advisory and outsourcing services to facilitate and enhance its
clients' growth and development, as well as competitiveness in
healthcare and CellTech industry markets. Through its
subsidiary structure with unique integration of verticals from
innovative R&D to automated bioproduction and accelerated
clinical development, Avalon is establishing a leading role in the
fields of cellular immunotherapy (including CAR-T/NK), exosome
technology (ACTEX™), and regenerative therapeutics. For more
information about Avalon GloboCare, please visit
www.avalon-globocare.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements contained in this press release may
constitute "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements
provide current expectations of future events based on certain
assumptions and include any statement that does not directly relate
to any historical or current fact. Actual results may differ
materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements
as a result of various important factors as disclosed in our
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission located at
their website (http://www.sec.gov). In addition to these factors,
actual future performance, outcomes, and results may differ
materially because of more general factors including (without
limitation) general industry and market conditions and growth
rates, economic conditions, and governmental and public policy
changes. The forward-looking statements included in this press
release represent the Company's views as of the date of this press
release and these views could change. However, while the Company
may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point
in the future, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to
do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon
as representing the Company's views as of any date subsequent to
the date of the press release.
Contact Information: Avalon GloboCare Corp.4400 Route 9, Suite
3100Freehold, NJ 07728PR@Avalon-GloboCare.com
Investor Relations:Crescendo Communications, LLCTel: (212)
671-1020 Ext. 304avco@crescendo-ir.com
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