SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Lassen Therapeutics, a biotech company developing breakthrough antibody therapeutics as potential treatments for fibrosis, rare diseases, and oncology, today announced upcoming presentations of new data on its novel IL-11 receptor-blocking antibody at the American Thoracic Society (ATS) Annual Meeting being held in San Francisco, May 13-18, 2022. In addition to the presentation at the ATS Annual Meeting, Lassen will be highlighted as a Fibrosis Featured Company at the ATS Respiratory Innovation Summit taking place on May 14. The summit brings together innovators, investors, clinicians, and advocacy groups who are leading the charge to create new treatments for deadly and crippling diseases of the lungs and airways.
“It is an honor to have been selected as one of the featured companies in the fibrosis category at the Respiratory Innovation Summit,” said Mark Barrett, Chief Executive Officer of Lassen. “IL-11 is a novel target with a central role in fibrotic signaling and LASN01 represents a first-in-class and best-in-class monoclonal antibody designed to block this signaling via blockade of IL-11 receptor alpha (IL-11Rα). We look forward to advancing this lead program into the clinic in the coming months.”
The ATS presentation will describe development of high affinity, high potency IL-11 receptor blocking antibodies. Using these antibodies, the mechanism by which IL-11 drives in vitro fibroblast activation and function was investigated and the efficacy of IL-11 receptor blockade to inhibit fibrosis using human lung tissues and animal models of lung fibrosis was assessed.
“The data we will present at ATS indicate that IL-11 is a prominent fibroinflammatory mediator in the lung and inhibition of signaling through IL-11Rα blockade is an exciting novel therapeutic approach for the potential treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and other fibrosing interstitial lung diseases,” said David King, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Lassen. “Because of its central role in fibrotic processes, inhibition of the IL-11 pathway also represents a promising mechanism to target for chronic fibrotic diseases that affect other organs in addition to the lungs.”
Research conducted by Lassen collaborator and Scientific Advisory Board member Cory Hogaboam, Ph.D., Professor of Medicine and Research Scientist in the Women’s Guild Lung Institute in the Department of Medicine at Cedars-Sinai on the role of IL-11 in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis will also be presented at ATS.
Details of Lassen presentation are as follows:
Title: Characterization of a Novel IL-11 Receptor-Blocking Antibody, a Potential Therapeutic for IPF and Other Fibrosing Lung Diseases
Mini-Symposium Session: Novel Therapeutics and Biomarkers for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
Session Date and Time: Tuesday May 17, 2022, from 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM ET
Details of ATS Respiratory Innovation Summit are as follows:
Title: Fibrosis Feature Company Showcase
Session Date and Time: Saturday, May 14, 2022, from 9:35 – 10:05 AM ET
Details of the Cedars Sinai presentation are as follows:
Title: Interleukin-11 Perpetuates a Vicious Cycle of Lung Macrophage and Mesenchymal Cell Activation in IPF
Mini-Symposium Session: Novel Therapeutics and Biomarkers for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
Session Date and Time: Sunday May 15, 2022, from 2:15 PM – 3:45 PM ET
The full abstracts are available on the ATS website.
Information about the ATS Respiratory Innovation Summit can be found here.
About Lassen Therapeutics
Lassen Therapeutics develops breakthrough antibodies as potential treatments for fibrosis, rare diseases, and oncology. The company’s lead candidate is LASN01, a best-in-class monoclonal antibody targeting IL-11 receptor (IL-11R). IL-11, a member of the IL-6 family of cytokines, is a central mediator of fibrosis and blocking its activity has the potential to be safer than and additive to other anti-fibrotic therapeutic approaches. IL-11 is also an important effector of tumor microenvironment organization, playing a key role as a mediator between cancer and stromal cells. For more information, please visit www.lassentherapeutics.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
