Iaso Bio and Umoja Biopharma Announce Deepened Strategic Collaboration to Co-Develop Off-the-Shelf Ex Vivo and In Vivo Cell and Gene Therapies

Nanjing, Shanghai, China and San Jose, California, USAJanuary 4, 2024PR Newswire -- IASO Bio, a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the research, production, and sales of innovative cell therapies and antibody products, and Umoja Biopharma, a transformative immunotherapy company committed to developing more accessible and effective off-the-shelf CAR-T cell products, jointly announced todayA Series of New Collaborations on the Research, Development, and Commercialization of Novel In Vitro and In Vivo Cell and Gene TherapiesPreviously, IASO Bio and Umoja Biopharma reached an agreement in November 2022 to collaborate on developing next-generation off-the-shelf cell therapies by combining IASO Bio's chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) with Umoja's iCIL platform. The signing of this new agreement deepens the strategic cooperation between the two parties and further advances innovative off-the-shelf cell and gene therapy solutions.

According to the agreement, IASO Bio will obtain the exclusive rights to Umoja’s Rapamycin-Activated Cytokine Receptor (RACR™) platform—a synthetic cytokine receptor technology—for the development of two in vitro iPSC-derived Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) cell therapies. IASO Bio will be responsible for the global research, production, registration, and commercialization of these two in vitro cell therapy products. Meanwhile, Umoja will exclusively use two clinically validated CAR sequences targeting different antigens from IASO Bio, combined with Umoja's proprietary in vivo gene delivery technology using lentiviral vectors—VivoVec™—to advance the development of two in vivo CAR-T product candidates. IASO Bio and Umoja will respectively oversee the product development, manufacturing, registration, and commercialization in Greater China and other regions outside of Greater China. Additionally, both parties are entitled to receive corresponding development and sales milestone payments as well as royalties within the collaboration. This partnership will promote the research and development of innovative off-the-shelf cell and gene therapies for applications in oncology and autoimmune diseases.

Dr. Chong Fu, Chief Financial Officer of IASO Bio, stated"We are delighted to strengthen our collaboration with Umoja to jointly develop allogeneic cell therapies. By combining Umoja's RACR™ platform with IASO Bio’s clinically validated CAR, we aim to enhance the patient treatment experience by eliminating the need for lymphodepletion, while optimizing product development through improved cell differentiation and expansion. Our goal is to provide innovative allogeneic cell therapies for patients globally whose needs are not met by existing treatments. Additionally, Umoja can utilize our best-in-class, clinically proven CAR sequences to advance the development of its in vivo CAR-T therapy, which has the potential to fundamentally transform the landscape of cell and gene therapies."

"This collaboration will promote the sharing of resources and complementary advantages between the two parties, further improving the accessibility of cell therapies. We will move forward hand in hand, surpassing traditional R&D and cooperation methods to maximize the potential of cell therapies."UmojaChief Operating Officer and Chief Commercial OfficerDavid FontanaDr. stated"By combining IASO Bio's best-in-class CAR with Umoja's VivoVec™ technology, we hope to expand the potential applications of in vivo gene delivery technology to new indications, benefiting more patients."