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Targazyme, UMCC to advance development of TZ101 for use with regulatory T cells

Targazyme has entered into a collaboration with the University of Minnesota Medical Center (UMMC) to advance the development of the Company’s clinical product candidate, TZ101 for use with regulatory T cells (Tregs).

This collaboration builds on positive proof of concept data published in the journal "Blood" demonstrating that ex vivo treatment of Tregs with TZ101 prior to administration is an effective strategy for the prevention of Graft-Versus-Host-Disease (GVHD).

This new UMMC collaboration will focus on improving understanding of the mechanisms involved with TZ101-treated Treg immunotherapy in the transplant and autoimmune disease settings.

GVHD can be a life-threatening complication of hematopoietic stem cell and solid organ transplantation that affects approximately 188,000 patients a year annually in the United States (source: Statista, 2015).

Targazyme believes that TZ101 can potentially reduce patient morbidity and mortality from GVHD, which remains a difficult to treat complication in approximately 50% of patients, as well as its potential application in solid organ transplants.

University of Minnesota stem cell transplantation program co-director Bruce Blazar said: "Preclinical studies published in the journal "Blood" have shown that TZ101-treated Tregs persist for a longer time in vivo and are able to prevent GVHD at a lower cell dose compared to untreated regulatory T cells.

"We look forward to working with Targazyme on this important additional collaboration with the intention to further develop this important T cell based cancer immunotherapeutic in the area of GVHD."

Targazyme president and CEO Lynnet Koh said: "These additional mechanistic-based studies with the UMMC will allow us to explore further the potential for broadening the application of TZ101 not only to potentially help patients undergoing stem cell and solid organ transplantation but also patients with life threatening auto-immune diseases.

"TZ101, as well as our second product, TZ102, are enabling technologies for improving efficacy outcomes for various cells such as T cells, natural killer cells, hematopoietic stem cells and other cell types that are used to prevent and treat a variety of different diseases for which there is a high unmet medical need."