Pandion Therapeutics Presents Preclinical Data Highlighting Potential of Tissue-Tethered PD-1 Agonist to Locally Target Autoimmune Disease at the nPOD 13th Annual Scientific Meeting
WATERTOWN, Mass., Feb. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pandion Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: PAND), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel therapeutics designed to address the unmet needs of patients living with autoimmune diseases, today presented preclinical data on PT001, the Company’s tissue-tethered PD-1 agonist, at the Network for Pancreatic Organ Donors with Diabetes (nPOD) 13th Annual Scientific Meeting. The research, done in collaboration with St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research in Australia and funded by JDRF and the JDRF T1D Fund, showed that PT001 treatment delayed the onset of hyperglycemia in a mouse model of Type 1 diabetes.
PD-1 plays a critical role in immune homeostasis and its dysfunction is linked to the development of autoimmune diseases, such as Type 1 diabetes, lupus and vitiligo. PD-1 is an inhibitory receptor located on conventional T cells, which, when activated, promotes the attenuation of an immune attack. PT001 is designed to agonize, or activate, PD-1 receptors to reduce aberrant immune responses in tissues expressing mucosal addressin cell adhesion molecule (MAdCAM), such as the gastrointestinal tract, liver, and inflamed pancreas.
“With tissue-tethered immunomodulation, we’re able to increase locally the concentration of our therapeutic candidates, driving robust responses in animal models that are not possible with their untethered counterparts. We believe this opens the door for Pandion to be at the forefront of addressing localized autoimmune diseases in a new, more targeted way,” said Jo Viney, Ph.D., President, Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Pandion. “The data presented at nPOD give us confidence in pursuing a tissue-tethered approach for T1D and other autoimmune diseases of the pancreas in collaboration with JDRF and Astellas. We are in the process of lead optimization for the PT001 program and expect to nominate a development candidate in the first half of this year.”
The Company plans to develop PT001 for autoimmune diseases of the gut and liver, and potentially pancreas. Pandion is also pursuing additional pancreas tethers as part of its collaboration with Astellas to discover and develop novel compounds for autoimmune diseases of the pancreas, including Type 1 diabetes.
The presentation, “A Novel PD-1:MAdCAM Bifunctional Antibody for the Treatment of T1D,” was authored by D. Rios, L. Edwards, S. Alioto, M. Proschitsky, R. Taylor, S. Litwak, G. Jhala, H. Thomas, I. Mascanfroni, N. Higginson-Scott, K. Kis-Toth, K. Otipoby, and J Viney and is available on the Company’s website: https://pandiontx.com/our-science/posters-presentations/.
About Pandion Therapeutics
Pandion Therapeutics is developing novel therapeutics designed to address the unmet needs of patients living with autoimmune diseases. Pandion’s TALON (Therapeutic Autoimmune reguLatOry proteiN) drug design and discovery platform enables the company to create a pipeline of product candidates using immunomodulatory effector modules, with the ability to also combine an effector module with a tissue-targeted tether module in a bifunctional format. Pandion’s lead product candidate PT101, a combination of an interleukin-2 mutein effector module fused to a protein backbone, is designed to selectively expand regulatory T cells systemically, without activating proinflammatory cells, such as conventional T cells and natural killer cells. Pandion is continuing to develop and expand its library of effector and tether modules as part of its earlier-stage research and discovery pipeline. For more information, please visit www.pandiontx.com and engage with us on Twitter @PandionTX or on LinkedIn.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, contained in this press release, including statements regarding the Company’s strategy and clinical development plans, timelines and prospects, are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Any forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations of future events and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in, or implied by, such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks associated with Pandion’s ability to obtain and maintain necessary approvals from the FDA and other regulatory authorities; initiate preclinical studies and clinical trials of PT101 and its other product candidates; advance PT101 and its other product candidates in preclinical research and clinical trials; replicate in clinical trials positive results found in preclinical studies; advance the development of its product candidates under the timelines it anticipates in current and future clinical trials; obtain, maintain or protect intellectual property rights related to its product candidates; manage expenses; and raise the substantial additional capital needed to achieve its business objectives. For a discussion of other risks and uncertainties, and other important factors, any of which could cause the Company’s actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see the “Risk Factors” section, as well as discussions of potential risks, uncertainties and other important factors, in the Company’s most recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, the forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the Company’s views as of the date hereof and should not be relied upon as representing the Company’s views as of any date subsequent to the date hereof. The Company anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause the Company’s views to 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.
Contacts
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Investors:
Michelle Avery
Pandion Therapeutics
857-273-0444
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