SBT-77-7101, Sonoma Bio’s novel T_reg cell therapy program in development for rheumatoid arthritis, expanded to include hidradenitis suppurativa

Phase 1 study of SBT-77-7101 in hidradenitis suppurativa expected to be initiated in 2024

Sonoma Biotherapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing engineered regulatory T cell (T_reg) therapies for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, will present preclinical data from its autologous chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T_reg product candidate for the treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) at the 8^th Annual Symposium on Hidradenitis Suppurativa Advances (SHSA). The meeting takes place October 13-15^th in Phoenix, Arizona.

“CAR-T_reg therapies hold great promise for treating an array of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases,” said Mark D. Eisner, M.D., MPH, Chief Medical Officer of Sonoma Biotherapeutics. “Our 7101 program targets citrullinated proteins, a hallmark of many autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and HS. Our results show that we can engineer CAR T_regs directly from HS patients’ cells that can target these proteins. This represents a novel therapeutic approach to restore the balance of the immune system to treat HS.”

Presentation Details:

Development of a Novel Regulatory T Cell-Based Therapy for Patients with Hidradenitis Suppurativa

Presenting Author: Sara Charmsaz, Ph.D.

Time: 2:05 PM – 2:15 PM MST

Date: Saturday, October 14, 2023

“HS is a chronic, painful inflammatory skin disease with profound and disabling impact,” said Alexa B. Kimball, M.D., MPH, investigator at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Professor of Dermatology at Harvard Medical School, and an author on the abstract. “These results suggest that specialized immune cells from HS patients can be identified and developed to target affected areas of skin in a beneficial way. A therapy derived from the patient’s own cells could hold the potential to provide relief for people suffering from this chronic, debilitating disease.”

HS, also known as acne inversa, is a chronic inflammatory skin condition characterized by painful lumps and lesions forming under the skin that heal slowly, recur, and can lead to scarring. The condition has a profound negative effect on patients including pain, movement restrictions, odor and drainage from affected areas and disfigurement. Existing therapies and surgical interventions are inadequate for long term disease management. HS is estimated to occur in approximately 1% of the U.S. population. Women are more likely to develop HS than men and Black women and biracial patients are disproportionately affected, with an adjusted prevalence that is three-fold and two-fold greater than white patients, respectively.

About SBT-77-7101

SBT-77-7101 is a novel autologous chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) engineered regulatory T cell (T_reg) therapy in development for the potential treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and hidradenitis suppurativa. SBT-77-7101 is designed to selectively target citrullinated proteins, which are a hallmark of many autoimmune and inflammatory diseases and are found in the inflamed disease-associated tissues of patients. Directly targeting these citrullinated proteins is intended to dampen inflammation at its source, while leveraging an autologous approach that utilizes patients’ own cells has potential to restore balance to the immune system and promote long-term immune tolerance.

About Sonoma Biotherapeutics

Sonoma Biotherapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing engineered regulatory T cell (T_reg) therapies to treat serious autoimmune and inflammatory diseases by restoring balance to the immune system. Founded by pioneers in T_reg biology and cell therapy, the company is employing proprietary platform technologies and approaches to develop a new generation of targeted and durable T_reg cell therapies. Sonoma Biotherapeutics is based in South San Francisco and Seattle. For more information, visit sonomabio.com and follow on X, formerly Twitter, and LinkedIn.

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