New preclinical results support the
anti-fibrotic potential of engineered macrophages in multiple
fibrosis models
Engineered TIM4-expressing macrophages correct
defective efferocytosis in MASH, demonstrating potent
anti-fibrotic activity
PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 17,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Carisma Therapeutics
Inc. (Nasdaq: CARM) ("Carisma" or the "Company"), a
clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and
developing innovative immunotherapies, today presented promising
preclinical data on engineered macrophages for treating liver
fibrosis at the American Association for the Study of Liver
Diseases (AASLD) The Liver Meeting® 2024. These results underscore
the pre-clinical efficacy of Carisma's engineered macrophages in
multiple liver fibrosis models and offer a novel, off-the-shelf
potential treatment option for patients with fibrotic liver disease
including advanced metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis
(MASH).
Liver fibrosis is a central late-stage pathway in multiple liver
diseases, including MASH, acute liver injury, primary sclerosing
cholangitis, primary biliary cholangitis, and others. Treatment
options remain limited for advanced liver disease patients. Liver
disease is characterized by defective efferocytosis (an
anti-inflammatory process by which macrophages clear dead
hepatocytes), activation of hepatic stellate cells which leads to
collagen accumulation, and chronic inflammation.
New preclinical results demonstrate that macrophages can be
genetically engineered to target specific key pathways underlying
liver disease with factors including TIM4 (restores efferocytosis),
relaxin (inhibits hepatic stellate cell activation), and IL10
(reduces inflammation). Notably, a single dose of macrophages
expressing TIM4, alone or together with relaxin, significantly
reduced liver fibrosis and hepatic stellate cell activation in the
translationally relevant choline-deficient, L-amino acid-defined,
high-fat diet (CDAHFD) MASH model. The engineered macrophages were
well tolerated and outperformed non-engineered cells in all
models.
"We are pleased to present compelling preclinical data
supporting the therapeutic potential of our engineered macrophages
to address a critical unmet need in liver fibrosis, which is found
in advanced stages of MASH," said Michael
Klichinsky, PharmD, PhD, Co-founder and Chief Scientific
Officer of Carisma. "These data underscore the efficacy of our
engineered macrophages as a differentiated, off-the-shelf approach
for treating advanced liver fibrosis. Based on these promising
findings, we are committed to advancing our liver fibrosis
program."
Carisma expects to nominate a development candidate for its
liver fibrosis program in the first quarter of 2025.
The poster presented at AASLD 2024 is now available online in
the "Publications" section of Carisma's website
at https://carismatx.com/technology/publications/
About Carisma Therapeutics
Carisma Therapeutics Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical
company focused on utilizing our proprietary macrophage and
monocyte cell engineering platform to develop transformative
immunotherapies to treat cancer and other serious diseases. We have
created a comprehensive, differentiated proprietary cell therapy
platform focused on engineered macrophages and monocytes, cells
that play a crucial role in both the innate and adaptive immune
response. Carisma is headquartered in Philadelphia, PA. For more information, please
visit www.carismatx.com.
Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within
the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, but not
limited to, anticipated discovery, preclinical and clinical
development activities for Carisma's product candidates, the
potential safety, efficacy, benefits and addressable market for
Carisma's product candidates, and clinical trial results for
Carisma's product candidates. All statements other than statements
of historical fact are statements that could be deemed
forward-looking statements. The words "believes," "anticipates,"
"estimates," "plans," "expects," "intends," "may," "could,"
"should," "potential," "likely," "projects," "continue," "will,"
"schedule," and "would" and similar expressions are intended to
identify forward-looking statements, although not all
forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. These
forward-looking statements are predictions based on the Company's
current expectations and projections about future events and
various assumptions. Although Carisma believes that the
expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are
reasonable, Carisma cannot guarantee future events, results,
actions, levels of activity, performance or achievements, and the
timing and results of biotechnology development and potential
regulatory approval is inherently uncertain. Forward-looking
statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause
Carisma's actual activities or results to differ significantly from
those expressed in any forward-looking statement, including risks
and uncertainties related to Carisma's ability to advance its
product candidates, the receipt and timing of potential regulatory
designations, approvals and commercialization of product
candidates, clinical trial sites and our ability to enroll eligible
patients, supply chain and manufacturing facilities, Carisma's
ability to maintain and recognize the benefits of certain
designations received by product candidates, the timing and results
of preclinical and clinical trials, Carisma's ability to fund
development activities and achieve development goals, Carisma's
ability to protect intellectual property, and other risks and
uncertainties described under the heading "Risk Factors" in
Carisma's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 2023, its Quarterly
Reports on Form 10-Q and other documents that Carisma files from
time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These
forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press
release, and Carisma undertakes no obligation to revise or update
any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances
after the date hereof, except as may be required by law.
Investors:
Shveta
Dighe
Head of Investor Relations
investors@carismatx.com
Media Contact:
Julia
Stern
(763) 350-5223
jstern@realchemistry.com
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SOURCE Carisma Therapeutics Inc.