AsiaNet 84579

Carmine Therapeutics and Takeda Collaborate to Discover and Develop Rare Disease Gene Therapies Using Novel Red Blood Cell Extracellular Vesicles Platform

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/--

Takeda has also led Carmine's convertible note seed+ funding round by extending

a $5M convertible loan to Carmine

Carmine Therapeutics announced today that it has signed a research

collaboration agreement with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited ("Takeda")

to discover, develop and commercialize transformative non-viral gene therapies

for two rare disease targets using Carmine's REGENT(TM) technology, based on

red blood cell extracellular vesicles. In addition, Takeda has committed a $5M

convertible loan in support of the development of Carmine's novel REGENT(TM)

platform.

Logo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20200629/2843320-1LOGO

Under the terms of the agreement, Carmine will receive an upfront payment,

research funding support and is eligible for over $900M in total milestone

payments plus tiered royalties. Takeda has an option to license the programs

following the completion of pre-clinical proof of concept studies and would be

responsible for clinical development and commercialization.

XQ Lin, Founding CEO of Carmine Therapeutics and Managing Partner of Esco

Ventures, commented, "We are pleased to enter this collaboration with Takeda, a

recognized global leader in rare disease therapies, slightly more than a year

since Carmine was created and incubated by Esco Ventures X. This provides

Carmine with significant funding to further develop our REGENT(TM) platform,

and advance our wholly-owned programs."

Carmine Therapeutics is pioneering a novel class of therapeutics based on its

REGENT(TM) technology which leverages red blood cell extracellular vesicles

(RBCEVs), first published in Nature Communications in 2018. An initial focus is

non-viral gene therapies. Compared to adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based gene

therapy, RBCEV-based gene therapy has the potential for repeat dosing, a

significantly larger transgene payload capacity in excess of 11KB, and enhanced

bio-distribution in selected tissues through RBCEV surface modification.

"At Takeda, we're expanding our foundation in gene therapy by establishing a

network of innovative partners like Carmine Therapeutics who are pursuing

non-viral vector approaches that could leapfrog today's technology," said

Takeda Rare Diseases Drug Discovery Unit Head Madhu Natarajan. "Developing

alternative gene therapy delivery vehicles like the REGENT platform that could

address the challenges of AAV gene therapy is critical to one day delivering

next-generation cures for rare diseases."

About Carmine

Carmine Therapeutics was founded in 2019 by Esco Ventures X, Professor Harvey

Lodish (Whitehead, MIT) and Singaporean Professors Minh Le and Jiahai Shi.

Professor Lodish, who was a founding member of several successful biotech

companies that include Genzyme, Arris (now Axys) Pharmaceuticals, Millennium

Pharmaceuticals and Rubius Therapeutics, is also Chair of the Scientific

Advisory Board of Carmine. Headquartered in Cambridge, MA with a research

presence in Singapore, Carmine is pioneering a new class of therapeutics based

on red blood cell extracellular vesicles. To date, Carmine has raised over

$9.4M USD in seed equity financing led by Esco Ventures and Takeda Ventures.

For more information, visit www.carminetherapeutics.com.

About Esco Ventures X

Esco Ventures X, based in Cambridge, MA and Singapore, builds, incubates and

invests in biotech companies, originating from platform technologies sourced

globally. For more information, visit www.escoventures.com.

Contacts:

Media Relations

Media@carminetherapeutics.com

Investor Relations

Investors@carminetherapeutics.com

Logo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20200629/2843320-1LOGO

Logo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20200630/2843320-1LOGO-a

SOURCE  Carmine Therapeutics

Image Attachments Links:

   Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=366484 

   Caption: Carmine Therapeutics Logo

   Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=366425

   Caption: Esco Ventures X Logo