Myeloid Therapeutics Enters Into Agreement with Acuitas Therapeutics for Lipid Nanoparticle (LNP) System, Enabling the First-Ever Delivery of mRNA-Encoded CARs Directly to Humans

- Myeloid's monocyte-specific CAR technology combined with Acuitas' industry-leading LNP portfolio will accelerate in vivo cell programming for cancer patients -  

- This strategic step complements Myeloid's existing pipeline and illustrates its continued leadership position across multiple myeloid-targeting modalities, including cell therapy and in vivo programming -

- Acuitas' agreement enables Myeloid to progress up to 6 target programs -

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Myeloid Therapeutics, Inc. ("Myeloid" or the "Company"), a clinical stage mRNA-immunotherapy company developing novel therapies for cancer and autoimmune diseases, today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Acuitas Therapeutics ("Acuitas"), a global leader in developing LNP delivery systems that enable mRNA-based therapeutics. 

The companies will combine the power of Acuitas' LNP technology with Myeloid's in vivo mRNA cell programming technology to develop next-generation immunotherapies for cancer.  The initial in vivo programming technologies are based on Myeloid's proprietary CARs, that are designed to be specifically expressed by myeloid and other immune cells.  Through this agreement, Myeloid de-risks the development of its candidates by leveraging Acuitas' science and proven regulatory, manufacturing and scale-up experience, to rapidly translate Myeloid's innovation to patients.

"We are thrilled to announce our agreement with Acuitas, whose proven LNP technology is safe and effective and used in commercially-approved products such as COMIRNATY®," said Daniel Getts, Ph.D., CEO of Myeloid.  "We look forward to harnessing Acuitas' technology to unlock the power of our in vivo programming approach, which has demonstrated the ability to remodel the tumor microenvironment and have potent anti-tumor activity in preclinical models.  The combined science and commercial experience, coupled with our shared mindset of innovation, reflects a great strategic fit for Myeloid."

"Myeloid's in vivo programming technology represents an important advancement in drug development and Acuitas is proud to be working with the Myeloid team. There is a continuing need for better cancer therapies and such LNP-CAR products may offer improved clinical outcomes," said Dr. Thomas Madden, President & CEO of Acuitas Therapeutics.

About Myeloid's in vivo Programming Platform

Myeloid's novel in vivo engineering platform specifically targets and activates myeloid cells to elicit broader anti-tumor adaptive immunity. Through this approach, Myeloid demonstrates that delivery of LNPs encapsulating mRNA results in selective uptake and expression by myeloid cells in vivo, leading to potent tumor killing in multiple cold tumor models. At AACR 2022, Myeloid presented late-breaking data demonstrating the potential of Myeloid's technology to program cells directly in vivo.  Myeloid is currently advancing two in vivo programming programs, MT-301 and MT-302, through IND-enabling studies against validated cancer targets in attractive therapeutic markets.   The MT-301 and MT-302 programs will utilize Acuitas' LNP deliver technology. 

About Acuitas Therapeutics 

Founded in February 2009, Vancouver-based Acuitas Therapeutics (www.acuitastx.com) is a private biotechnology company that specializes in the development of delivery systems for nucleic acid therapeutics based on lipid nanoparticles. The company partners with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and academic institutes to advance nucleic acid therapeutics into clinical trials and to the marketplace. The team works with partners to develop new therapies to address unmet clinical needs based on its internationally recognized capabilities in delivery technology. Acuitas Therapeutics has agreements in place with several partners to use its proprietary lipid nanotechnology in the development of COVID-19 vaccines. These include Pfizer/BioNTech for COMIRNATY®, which has received full approval in the U.S. and Canada and is authorized for Emergency Use in Europe, the UK and many other countries.

About Myeloid Therapeutics

Myeloid Therapeutics is a clinical stage mRNA-immunotherapy company developing novel therapies for cancer and autoimmune diseases. Integrating the fields of RNA, immunology and medicine, the Company's proprietary platform provides clinical solutions by matching therapeutic modalities to disease conditions, including use of  autologous cell therapies, in vivo cell programming using mRNA, RNA-based gene-editing using RetroT™ and multi-targeted biologics.  For more information, visit https://www.myeloidtx.com/.

Investor Contact
Amy Conrad
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858-914-1962

SOURCE Myeloid Therapeutics