Press Release.
Renowned Global Leaders are Experts in Immunology, Autoimmune Disease, and T Cell Signaling
Cambridge, Mass., June 24, 2020 – Artax Biopharma, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on transforming autoimmune disease treatment, today announces the formation of their Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). The SAB is comprised of experts in Immunology, Autoimmune Disease, and T Cell Signaling, and was formed to guide the company as it proceeds into future clinical trials with a first-in-class, oral small molecule autoimmune disease immunomodulator AX-158.
Artax Biopharma is poised to enter clinical trials with the small molecule AX- 158, a novel approach to treat multiple autoimmune diseases without causing the immunosuppression commonly associated with current autoimmune disease therapies.
Balbino Alarcón, PhD, Chairman of Artax’s Scientific Advisory Board, commented,
“I am privileged to lead Artax’s Scientific Advisory Board, which mobilizes global leaders in Immunology, Autoimmune Disease, and T Cell Signaling. Collectively we are enthusiastic to collaborate on, and contribute to, important development initiatives related to Artax’s innovative approach to autoimmune disease treatment.”
“Artax Biopharma’s Nck inhibitor AX-158 has shown impressive experimental biologic and mechanistic impact on T cell modulation – managing autoimmune disease without inducing the profound immunosuppression or interference with memory response associated with conventional or biological therapies,”
stated Dr. Lawrence Steinman, Stanford University Zimmerman Professor of Neurology and Neurosciences, Pediatrics, and Genetics and Scientific Advisory Board member.
“Convening a Scientific Advisory Board is a critical step as we accelerate our clinical development program,”
stated Artax Biopharma Chief Executive Officer Joseph Lobacki.
“The clinical expertise and knowledge of these experts is unparalleled and will be instrumental in informing our development strategy across several autoimmune diseases.”
The SAB will be comprised of five experts, and is being led by
Professor Balbino Alarcón, PhD, co-founder of Artax Biopharma:
Balbino Alarcón, PhD
Dr. Alarcón is Program Director at the National Research Council of
Spain (CSIC) and Head of the TCR-mediated Signal Transduction
Laboratory.
Raif Geha, MD
Dr. Geha is the James L. Gamble Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard
Medical School and Chief of the Allergy/Immunology/Rheumatology and
Dermatology Division at Children’s Hospital in Boston.
Menno de Rie, MD
Prof. de Rie is a board-certified dermatologist and vice-chair of the
department of Dermatology of the Amsterdam University Medical Centres/
University of Amsterdam.
Lawrence Steinman, MD
Dr. Steinman is the George A. Zimmermann professor of Neurology
and Neurological Sciences, Pediatrics, and Genetics at Stanford University.
Cox Terhorst, PhD
Dr. Terhorst is Chief of Immunology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical
Center and Professor at Harvard Medical School.
About Immunomodulation
A healthy immune system eliminates harmful foreign pathogens, while
being tolerant of self-tissues and organs. When the immune system
malfunctions, cells (T Cells) attack self-tissues and organs, causing
autoimmune disease. Current autoimmune disease therapies suppress the
immune system, helping to minimize these self-attacks, but also raise
susceptibility to harmful foreign pathogens. Immunomodulation, the process
in which the immune system reduces self-attacks while properly reacting to
fight foreign pathogens, holds great potential for autoimmune disease.
About Artax-158
AX-158 is a first-in-class, oral small molecule, preclinical
immunomodulating agent in development for the treatment of autoimmune
diseases. AX-158 employs a novel mechanism of action that selectively
modulates, or adjusts, T cell responses that play a critical role in immune
system function. By selectively inhibiting Nck, a protein, AX-158 selectively
modulates self-directed T Cell activation which is a cause of autoimmune
disease. Importantly, data suggest AX-158 is not immunosuppressive and
does not impact the immune system’s ability to mount a strong response to
foreign pathogens and infections. Further, AX-158’s ability to modulate T cell
responses allows the possibility to broadly target several autoimmune
diseases, therefore potentially transforming autoimmune disease treatment.
About Artax Biopharma
Artax Biopharma is a biotechnology company transforming
autoimmune disease treatment. Artax is a life science industry leader in
autoimmune disease immunomodulation science, developing an
innovative small molecule approach to treat autoimmune disease that
modulates the immune system to both treat autoimmune disease and
allow the body to fight foreign pathogens. The company is examining a
first-in-class oral immunomodulating agent as a new way to treat multiple
autoimmune diseases without causing the immune suppression commonly
associated with currently available autoimmune disease therapies. For
more information, please visit www.artaxbiopharma.com.
Contacts:
Karen LaRochelle, MBA
Chief Business Officer
Artax Biopharma
klarochelle@artaxbiopharma.com
Media:
Linda Phelan Dyson, MPH
+1 973-986-5873
ldyson@artaxbiopharma.com
