PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CytoAgents Inc. (the Company), a clinical-stage biotechnology company, dedicated to developing a safe and effective treatment for Cytokine Release Syndrome (CRS), announced today that it has been awarded a $2 million National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant, the third NIH grant in four years. This funding will accelerate the development of its lead drug candidate, CTO1681, an investigational new drug that uses a novel approach designed to prevent and mitigate Cytokine Release Syndrome in patients receiving CAR T-Cell therapy. This is an area of great unmet medical need as the majority of patients undergoing CAR T treatment for their cancer experience CRS and associated neurotoxicity.
“We are deeply honored to receive a third NIH grant, which further validates the importance and potential of our research at CytoAgents,” said Arthur P. Bertolino MD, PhD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer at CytoAgents. “Our team is committed to leveraging this support to push the boundaries of scientific discovery and bring impactful therapies to patients in need.”
CytoAgents is developing innovative pharmaceutical products to treat CRS associated with life-threatening conditions, diseases and disorders. CRS, also called cytokine storm, is caused by excessive cytokine production and can be triggered by a range of diseases and treatments. Certain advanced immunotherapies in the oncology space such as CAR T-Cell and Bispecific Antibody therapies suffer from high incidences of associated CRS. The Company expects that effective CRS management will support greater accessibility to and broader adoption of these highly effective therapies in the clinic.
CytoAgents is enrolling patients in a Phase 1b/2a clinical trial evaluating CTO1681 to treat CRS in lymphoma patients receiving CAR T-Cell Therapy. The clinical trial is being conducted at multiple U.S. sites and investigates the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of different doses of CTO1681.
“We are appreciative of the support from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health, this funding will help to accelerate our ongoing trial,” said Teresa Whalen, RPh, CEO of CytoAgents. “Effective CRS treatment will not only improve patient outcomes, but also expand patient access to these important, new cancer treatment modalities.”
The SBIR grant is non-dilutive funding from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R44CA287634 and will support the research of CTO1681. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
About CytoAgents
CytoAgents Inc. is a privately held, clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the development of innovative pharmaceutical products for the treatment of life-threatening symptoms associated with Cytokine Release Syndrome (CRS), an overreaction of the immune system causing systemic inflammation. There are many causes of CRS, and our mission is to develop a broadly accessible treatment for multiple indications of high unmet need, including CRS triggered by CAR T-Cell and Bispecific Antibody Therapies, as well as respiratory epidemics and autoimmune illnesses. Using a novel, host-directed approach, our lead compound, CTO1681, targets the underlying cause of life-threatening CRS, by modulating the body’s natural immune response to sickness or disease. We are committed to developing first-in-class, best-in-class products that meet major medical needs now and into the future. www.cytoagents.com
Forward Looking Statements
Some of the statements in this press release may be forward-looking statements or statements of future expectations based on currently available information. Such statements are naturally subject to risks and uncertainties. Factors such as the development of general economic conditions, future market conditions, unusual catastrophic loss events, changes in the capital markets, changes in governmental regulations and other circumstances may cause the actual events or results to be materially different from those anticipated by such statements. CytoAgents does not make any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or updated status of such statements. CytoAgents will not be liable to anyone for any decision made or action taken in conjunction with the information and/or statements in this press release or for any related damages.
