Belief BioMed to Collaborate with AskBio to Explore the Potential of New Gene Therapies

• Belief BioMed and AskBio will work together to advance potential gene therapies in diseases with high unmet medical need, using a liver-targeted approach.

SHANGHAI, Sept. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Belief BioMed Inc. (BBM), a biotech company focusing on innovative gene therapies, today announced a new strategic collaboration with Asklepios BioPharmaceutical, Inc. (AskBio), a gene therapy company wholly owned and independently operated as a subsidiary of Bayer AG, to explore the potential for new gene therapies. 

Under the terms of the contract, the companies will combine efforts and experience in gene therapy technology to explore potential therapies in diseases that may be treatable using a liver-targeted approach. 

Dr. Xiao Xiao, Co-founder, Chairman and Chief Science Officer of Belief BioMed, said, "Focusing on gene therapy, Belief BioMed has achieved exciting results in research, development and production since its inception. The company's proprietary recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vector system has also been widely recognized by the industry. Our strategic partnership with AskBio is based on our shared vision, mutual trust and complementary resources and strength. With our joint effort we will be able to bring more innovative treatments in a timely manner to patients around the globe."

With global headquarters in North Carolina, US, AskBio is a fully integrated gene therapy company dedicated to developing life-saving medicines and changing lives. The company maintains a portfolio of clinical programs across a range of neuromuscular, central nervous system, cardiovascular, and metabolic disease indications. The company has generated hundreds of proprietary capsids and promoters, several of which have entered pre-clinical and clinical testing.

Gustavo Pesquin, Chief Executive Officer, AskBio, said, "This strategic collaboration with BBM is an excellent example of how we work at AskBio and is particularly special given the extraordinary contributions Dr. Xiao Xiao has made to the field while at BBM and before as a co-founder of AskBio. Collaborating with innovative, like-minded partners with complementary gene therapy expertise enables us to find the best way forward for our pipeline assets and bolster our efforts to advance new therapies for conditions with significant unmet need."

Dr. Jane Zheng, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Belief BioMed, said, "The high-quality, steady development of Belief BioMed in recent years is not only attributable to the dedication and unremitting efforts of our employees, but also to the strong support given by our external partners. Belief BioMed has always been actively building open, collaborative, and win-win partnerships, just like the cooperation between the two companies this time. Under the framework of this novel and progressive collaboration, we look forward to working together with AskBio to address a wider range of unmet medical needs, and at the same time, taking another solid step towards the goal of Belief BioMed: rooted in China, serving the world."

Belief BioMed is a biotech company that integrates the research & development, manufacturing, and clinical application of gene therapy products. Its pipeline covers a wide range of therapeutic areas that include hemophilia, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), Parkinson's disease, and osteoarthritis. This collaboration will further strengthen the company's core competitiveness in the field of gene therapy, and create a solid foundation for bringing additional new innovative gene therapies to patients worldwide.

About Belief BioMed

Belief BioMed Inc. (BBM) is a biotech company that integrates the research and development, manufacturing and clinical application of gene therapy products. The company is committed to providing innovative and more effective gene therapies for severe genetic and chronic diseases through safe and efficient viral vector technology. BBM has developed hundreds of key vector technologies, including HEK293 cell suspension serum-free culture process and full-scale chromatography purification process, and has established a commercial production platform for gene therapy drugs in China. The company has been building up its capabilities in a variety of fields including novel AAV capsids targeting different tissues, efficient transgene expression cassette design, and advanced clinically applicable vector manufacturing process. It has also established an extensive R&D pipeline covering a wide range of unmet clinical needs in different therapeutic areas such as hemophilia, DMD, Parkinson's disease, osteoarthritis, etc. Several product pipelines have entered clinical studies or submitted IND filings. The NDA of a gene therapy for the treatment of adult patients with hemophilia B, has been accepted by the NMPA of China. For more information, visit www.beliefbiomed.com.

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