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Company News: Allero Therapeutics and Abbreos Join Forces to Clinically Develop COVID-19 Program
Allero Therapeutics BV, a Belgian-Dutch oromucosal immunotherapy company, and Abbreos Inc., a US- based IND-stage company focused on developing treatments that dampen hyperactive immune responses, today announced a clinical development agreement to treat medical conditions associated with potentially lethal amounts of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines (“cytokine storm”). A first focus of the agreement is the treatment of patients likely to progress into COVID-19-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).
The goal of the collaboration is to clinically test the novel OroMucosal ImmunoGlobulin (OMIG) concept developed by Allero in a first set of COVID-19 infected patients that may advance to ARDS and, if not treated, require extensive ICU support and ventilation. Clinical trials to be conducted simultaneously in Miami (US) and Flanders (BE) aim to have first patients enrolled by early 2021. OMIGPatch™ builds on the principles of intravenous ImmunoGlobulin (IVIG), but uses a different delivery route by providing a low dose of the drug via a non-invasive patch to the oral mucosa. Thereby, it mediates a specific triggering of a central immune checkpoint.
Under the terms of the agreement, Abbreos has an exclusive license to develop, manufacture and commercialize Allero’s OMIGPatch™ for the North American market, with an option to obtain licenses for other major markets and certain indications. In return, Allero Therapeutics obtained a major share in Abbreos and is eligible to receive further undisclosed financial compensation.
Commenting on the agreement, Emil Pot, CEO of Allero Therapeutics, said: “We are delighted to partner with Abbreos on this particular life-threatening medical condition of COVID-19 patients, given the great track record and large clinical network of the Abbreos team and their capabilities in accelerating clinical development. The agreement is a further endorsement of the potential of our proprietary Specific OroMucosal ImmunoTherapy platform leveraging the unique properties of the oral immune system. The deal also underlines our strategy of combining selected pharma partnerships to develop a proprietary product pipeline, which is primarily focused on allergic and autoimmune diseases.”
Robert Buchanan, CEO of Abbreos, commented: “We are fortunate to be partnering with Allero at this time. Like the rest of the US, Florida may face a new wave of COVID-19 infection and we believe Allero’s OMIGPatch has potential to help patients avoid complications of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Allero’s oral patch is non-invasive, biodegradable and easy to use. We also believe Allero’s technology can be applied beyond COVID-19, including treatment of other diseases associated with a life-threatening cytokine storm. We look forward to a long-term partnership with Allero to explore the potential of this technology for the benefit of patients.”
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About Allero Therapeutics
Allero Therapeutics was founded in November 2016 by and in 2019 seed-financed by Curie Capital and Swanbridge Capital. Allero Therapeutics is an immunotherapy company building a portfolio of first-in-class programs based on its proprietary Specific OroMucosal ImmunoTherapy (SOMIT) technology platform. The company is developing a pipeline of products in the field of food-related immune disorders such as Celiac Disease and food allergies, which currently affect 10% of the population worldwide – with rising tendency. While there is no cure other than avoidance of particular food ingredients, patients and families are experiencing a significant impact on their quality of life. More info: http://www.allerotherapeutics.com/
About Abbreos Inc.
Abbreos Inc is an IND-stage company based at CIC-Miami, a technology innovation hub adjacent to the University of Miami and one of the largest public health systems in the US. The company was founded in October 2020 by Ventac Holding USA. Abbreos is focused on developing Allero’s OMIGPatch™ as a potential treatment for patients likely to suffer from COVID-19-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Abbreos believes the technology has further applications in the prevention and treatment of other diseases involving a life-threatening cytokine storm. More info: www.abbreos.com.