Major Financing for HLA-Targeted Autoimmune Therapies Could Lead to New Celiac Treatments

Celiac.com 10/23/2019 - Autoimmune therapy company ImmunoMolecular Therapeutics (IM Therapeutics) has received $10 million in Series A financing to support its new HLA-targeted treatment approach to autoimmune diseases, and to develop its lead HLA-targeted drug candidate for type 1 diabetes. 

Founded by physician scientists at the University of Colorado's Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes, IM Therapeutic creates personalized therapies for autoimmune diseases.

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The company's research has shown that blocking certain high risk human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes also blocks the subsequent autoimmune response, which offers a possible way to prevent autoimmune triggering in a number of autoimmune diseases.

Based on that research, the company is creating personalized therapies against HLA targets in various autoimmune diseases, including type 1 diabetes and celiac disease. The company has clinically proven that treating patients based on HLA-DQ8 status can reduce the autoimmune response in type 1 diabetes. 

With a technology platform that integrates computational chemistry, bioassays, and rational drug design, IM Therapeutics is developing a series of HLA targets for a number of autoimmune diseases.

IM Therapeutics' personalized therapy approach to treating autoimmune disorders has proven effective in a Phase 1b human study of recently diagnosed type 1 diabetes patients who were positive for the HLA DQ8 variant. 

The Company is moving forward on its lead oral drug, IMT-002, through IND development for type 1 diabetes, and expanding its therapeutic HLA blocking treatments to other targets of autoimmune disorders, including celiac disease.

IM Therapeutics’ HLA is currently focused on HLA-DQ8 and DQ2 gene variants, which are known to greatly increase individual risk to both type 1 diabetes and celiac disease. 

HLA-DQ8 is present in three out of five type 1 diabetes patients, and in one out of ten celiac disease patients. However, about 90% of celiac patients have DQ2, and nearly 100% of celiac patients have DQ2 and/or DQ8.

“Our value has been clear since day one – getting to the root cause of autoimmunity with a targeted therapy approach and making an impact on diseases such as type 1 diabetes,” said Nandan Padukone, Ph.D., CEO of IM Therapeutics. 

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