IASO Bio Presented Clinical Data and Single-cell Analysis of Equecabtagene Autoleucel for the Treatment of Central Nervous System Autoimmunity in Oral Presentation at EAN Congress 2024

SHANGHAI, NANJING, CHINA, and SAN JOSE, Calif., July 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- IASO biotechnology ("IASO Bio"), a biopharmaceutical company engaged in discovering, developing, manufacturing and marketing innovative cell therapies and antibody products, presented the clinical data and single-cell analysis of the fully human anti-BCMA CAR T cell therapy (Equecabtagene Autoleucel, Eque-cel) for the treatment of central nervous system autoimmunity in an oral presentation at the 2024 European Academy of Neurology (EAN) Annual Meeting.

Presentation Title: Single-cell analysis of anti-BCMA CAR T cell therapy in patients with central nervous system autoimmunity

Presentation Type: Oral report

Session Date and Time: 1 July 2024, 8:30 - 9:45 (EEST)

Location:  Helsinki, Finland

Publication Number: A-24-12777

Presenter: Professor Chuan Qin, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology

This report is based on an investigator-initiated study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Eque-cel for the treatment of relapsed/refractory antibody-mediated idiopathic inflammatory disorders of the nervous system (NCT04561557).  It was conducted by Professor Wei Wang's team at Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology.

The study enrolled 12 subjects with aquaporin-4 (AQP4) antibody-positive relapsed/refractory neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), all of whom had been treated with at least one immunosuppressant for over a year but had poor symptom control. The study results preliminarily demonstrated the good tolerability and safety, durable pathogenic antibody clearance, and potential clinical efficacy of Eque-cel in NMOSD. And CAR-T cells with chemotactic properties can cross the blood-brain barrier and enter the central nervous system to directly kill abnormal plasma cells in the central nervous system. The action facilitates the restoration of central immunity as it reduces the secretion of autoantibodies within sheaths and the abnormal activation of immune cells. As a result, the immune disorder in the central nervous system of the NMOSD patients can be rectified and its immune system can be reset.

As one of the pioneering research teams that first use BCMA CAR-T therapy for the treatment of immune diseases in the world, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology and IASO Bio have achieved breakthrough research results that validate the clinical value of innovative cell therapy for relapsed and refractory immune diseases, making its application prospects increasingly recognized and valued internationally. Currently, BCMA CAR-T therapy has been rated as one of the most promising treatment strategies by the International Neuromyelitis Optica Study Group (NEMOS) and incorporated into the latest revised treatment recommendations (J Neurol 2024). In addition, Professor Maximilian F. Konig from department of immunology, Johns Hopkins University, stated in Year in review, Immunotherapies in 2023: The rise of precision cellular therapies, published in Nat Rev Rheumatol, that the application of CAR-T therapy has brought groundbreaking advancements in innovative cellular therapies for immune diseases.

Professor Wei Wang from Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, the principal investigator of this study, stated: "This study was the world's first clinical trial of CAR-T therapy in the field of AQP4-mediated relapsed/refractory NMOSD. It not only demonstrated the encouraging efficacy and controllable safety of Eque-cel in NMOSD but also elucidated the cellular dynamics and immunological characteristics of CAR-T therapy for central nervous system autoimmune diseases. This provides a new therapeutic approach for antibody-mediated autoimmune diseases and also provides scientific insights into refining CAR-T cell therapies for autoimmune diseases. In addition to NMOSD, Eque-cel has shown an excellent clinical efficacy in the treatment of other antibody-mediated autoimmune diseases, including myasthenia gravis and immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy, even with early signs of reversing the disease. We have published several related research papers in leading international academic journals. There is a large patient population with autoimmune diseases, which are prone to relapses, difficult to cure, and require long-term or even lifelong medication, with a huge unmet clinical demand. We will continue to explore the application of Eque-cel in more refractory autoimmune diseases with IASO Bio team, aiming to transform the treatment landscape of autoimmune diseases."

About IASO Bio

IASO Bio is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of novel cell therapies and biologics for oncology and autoimmune diseases. IASO Bio possesses comprehensive capabilities spanning the entire drug development process, from early discovery to clinical development, regulatory approval, and commercial production.

The pipeline in the company includes a diversified portfolio of over 10 novel products, including Equecabtagene Autoleucel (a fully human BCMA CAR-T injection). Equecabtagene Autoleucel received New Drug Application (NDA) approval from China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) and U.S. FDA IND approval for the treatment of RRMM.

Leveraging its strong management team, innovative product pipeline, GMP production, as well as integrated manufactural and clinical capabilities, IASO aims to deliver transformative, curable, and affordable therapies that fulfil unmet medical needs to patients in China as well as around the world. For more information, please visit http://www.iasobio.com or www.linkedin.com/company/iasobiotherapeutics.