Date: 2017-03-23
Type of information: Research agreement
Compound: erymethionase program
Company: Erytech Pharma (France) Fox Chase Cancer Center (USA - PA)
Therapeutic area: Rare diseases - Genetic diseases - Metabolic diseases
Type agreement: research
Action mechanism:
- enzyme. Erymethionase is a methionine gamma-lyase (MGL, methioninase) enzyme encapsulated in red blood cells using Erytech’s proprietary Erycaps technology platform to provide effective, long-acting therapeutic activity with reduced toxicity. In addition to the homocystinuria program, Erytech is developing erymethionase as a product candidate targeting cancer metabolism.
Disease: homocystinuria
Details:
- • On March 23, 2017, Erytech Pharma announced that it has entered into a research collaboration with Fox Chase Cancer Center to advance the pre-clinical development of the company’s erymethionase program for homocystinuria. This rare, inherited genetic disease is caused by a deficiency in cystathionine Beta-synthase (CBS) and patients are unable to fully metabolize methionine, which leads to the accumulation of homocysteine and methionine in the blood and urine. High levels of these amino acids are directly linked to morbidity and mortality, often at a young age. Symptoms include severe intellectual disability, eye lens dislocation, thromboembolism, osteoporosis, and seizures.
- This research collaboration aims to demonstrate the potential of erymethionase to lower homocysteine and methionine in the homocystinuria mouse model (CBS-deficient mice) developed by Professor Warren Kruger’s lab at Fox Chase Cancer Center.
Financial terms:
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Is general: Yes
