For better leukemia therapies: spin-off Cimeio partners with pharmaceutical company Kyowa Kirin
“Our method, which involves equipping blood cells with a kind of protective shield and then targeting and removing diseased cells, smooths the way for treatments that could not have been used in that way before”
Start-up Cimeio Therapeutics intends to pave the way for gentler and more efficient treatments for diseases such as blood cancer. The company, a spin-off of the University of Basel, has just concluded an important collaboration agreement: Cimeio is joining forces with the pharmaceutical firm Kyowa Kirin. Kyowa Kirin will be financing the collaboration with Cimeio with up to CHF 263 million.
In a few years’ time, the treatment of blood cancer with arduous chemo- or radiotherapy could be a thing of the past. The approach, developed by Professor Lukas Jeker along with his colleagues, has the potential to revolutionize the treatment of diseases of the blood system. The research team at the Department of Biomedicine at the University of Basel has developed a method of protecting donated blood cells inside a patient’s body while his or her own diseased blood system is “deleted”.
The start-up Cimeio Therapeutics is continuing to develop this approach for clinical use. The company has already managed to attract investments amounting to around CHF 46 million, and to conclude important partnerships. The new collaboration with the Japanese life science company Kyowa Kirin, which has particular expertise in cell and gene therapies, is another step towards bringing gentler cell therapies into clinical practice.
“Our method, which involves equipping blood cells with a kind of protective shield and then targeting and removing diseased cells, smooths the way for treatments that could not have been used in that way before,” explains Jeker. Cimeio CSO Stefanie Urlinger adds: “We are looking forward to working with Kyowa Kirin moving forward. The company has repeatedly invested in innovative technologies that could significantly improve treatment success for serious illnesses in the past.”
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