The startup develops a cell therapy technology aimed at preventing rejection reactions in patients following stem cell transplants. Their clinical testing focuses on cell therapeutics that suppress transplant rejection and autoimmunity, significantly enhancing patient quality of life and expanding therapeutic options.
Funding
$4.1M raised to dateRaised to date based on public sources. This may differ from the amount the company actually raised and is based only on what is publicly available on the internet.
Founders
Product
Problem
Patients undergoing stem cell transplants often experience graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), where donor lymphocytes attack the recipient's tissues, leading to severe organ damage. Existing treatments for autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases often rely on broad immunosuppression, which can compromise the body's ability to fight infections and other diseases. Current Treg therapies face challenges in achieving sufficient cell numbers and often involve lengthy, costly, and potentially risky genetic manipulation.
Solution
ActiTrexx is developing novel therapies based on activated regulatory T cells (Treg) to restore immune balance in patients with dysfunctional immune systems. Their lead product, Actileucel, is a first-in-class allogeneic Treg product that does not require tissue matching, making it a standardized, "one-product-fits-all" drug. Actileucel leverages a proprietary process to isolate and activate Treg cells with a recombinant CD4-binding Treg activator, resulting in a highly pure cellular product with enhanced suppressive function. This activated Treg therapy aims to reprogram the T cell system without excessive immunosuppression, offering a curative treatment option and improved quality of life for patients.
Target Audience
The primary target audience includes patients undergoing stem cell transplantation at risk of GvHD, individuals suffering from autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis, and clinicians seeking novel, curative treatment options with reduced immunosuppressive burden.
Features
- Allogeneic Treg cell therapy, eliminating the need for patient-specific matching
- Proprietary CD4-binding Treg activator for superior Treg activation and suppressive function
- Rapid vein-to-vein processing time of less than 24 hours
- GMP-compliant manufacturing process without genetic engineering or cell expansion
- High purity cellular product with unparalleled suppressive function
- Currently in Phase Ib/II clinical trials for prevention of GvHD after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT)
- Potential application for treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune diseases
- Classified as an Advanced Therapy Medicinal Product (ATMP) by the EMA