ReNeuron Group (RENE ) said it has made ‘positive progress’ after unveiling a string of new collaboration agreements and emerging data on the group’s exosome technology platform.
The exosome technology is being explored by multiple collaboration partners as a delivery vehicle for third party therapeutic agents targeting the brain and other parts of the body.
The UK-based cell-based therapeutics developer is exploring multiple methods of loading exosomes both internally and on the exosome surface and told investors that it is collaborating with major pharmaceutical/biotechnology companies on these projects.
If the further data collected across these ongoing collaborations, which are expected to be received during the course of the next six months which, is positive, this will enable the company to secure subsequent potential out-licensing deals for its exosome platform.
To date, the group has shown the efficient loading of nucleic acid payloads in its exosomes with these exosome candidates also demonstrating in vitro and in vivo functional payload delivery to the brain and peripheral tissues via repeat-dose intravenous administration.
Specifically, target knockdown by exosome candidates was assessed in multiple brain regions and in key peripheral tissues including heart, kidney and skeletal muscle. Evidence of target knockdown was observed in each of these organs suggesting these exosomes have the potential to deliver payloads to therapeutically meaningful levels to a variety of tissues.
The company added that these early studies also suggest that loaded exosomes are ‘well-tolerated,’ thereby laying the foundation to expand the functional delivery studies.
Shares in ReNeuron Group have increased by nearly 35% in value since the beginning of 2021. The stock was trading 12.03% higher this morning at 121.55p following the news.
In addition to exploiting natural exosome tissue specificity, ReNeuron has also now successfully decorated the surface of its neural stem-cell derived exosomes with a specific tissue-targeting peptide which was modified to enhance binding to the exosome surface, resulting in a 10-fold increase in surface binding compared with unmodified peptide.
The next phase of this aims to confirm that the peptide promotes exosome targeting to additional tissues in vivo. This platform has the potential to generate more targeting peptides that would rapidly expand the therapeutic reach of the exosome candidates.
ReNeuron is also developing further exosome candidates derived from a panel of additional producer cell lines owned by the Company. It said these exosome candidates have the potential to broaden the repertoire of tissues and indications that it is able to target.
The group has initiated two further collaborations with academic institutions in the UK and mainland Europe. The work in these collaborations aims to consolidate previous findings which could lead to further studies examining functional delivery of the loaded exosomes.
“Our exosome platform is being deployed in collaboration with commercial third parties and it is pleasing to report that these collaborations are progressing to plan, with exciting data now emerging to demonstrate the delivery potential of this technology with a range of novel therapeutic agents, targeting the brain and other tissues,” said CEO, Olav Hellebø.
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