Acepodia and Pfizer Collaborate on Antibody-Cell Conjugation Therapies for Autoimmune Diseases

Acepodia, a clinical-stage biotechnology company known for its development of pioneering cell therapies, has announced a strategic clinical collaboration with Pfizer Ignite. This partnership aims to expand the application of Acepodia's innovative therapies into the realm of autoimmune diseases. The collaboration leverages Pfizer Ignite’s extensive resources, scale, and expertise to support Acepodia’s clinical programs and accelerate the progress of its therapies from preclinical research through various stages of development.

Acepodia’s unique Antibody-Cell Conjugation (ACC) platform, which integrates bioorthogonal chemistry, was inspired by the work of 2022 Nobel laureate Dr. Carolyn Bertozzi. This platform offers a non-genetically engineered alternative to CAR-T cell therapies, eliminating the issues of cytokine release storms, neurotoxicity, and other side effects commonly associated with such treatments. The ACC platform creates off-the-shelf cell therapies that are easily scalable, providing a potential breakthrough in the treatment of both cancer and autoimmune diseases.

The lead clinical candidate from Acepodia’s ACC platform is ACE1831, which is currently undergoing a Phase 1 clinical trial for the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Initial results have shown that ACE1831 delivers robust and durable effects even at the lowest dose, marking a promising development in cancer therapy.

In addition to ACE1831, Acepodia is also developing ACE2016 for solid tumors. By working with Pfizer Ignite, Acepodia aims to enhance the strategic development of these therapies, drawing on Pfizer’s robust clinical trial design, regulatory strategies, and extensive R&D capabilities. This partnership is expected to significantly improve the development process of Acepodia’s innovative drugs.

Sonny Hsiao, Ph.D., the CEO of Acepodia, highlighted the significant unmet needs in autoimmune diseases and the potential for their ACC platform to offer effective treatments without the complications associated with traditional CAR-T therapies. The collaboration with Pfizer Ignite is seen as a pivotal step in bringing these novel immunotherapies to patients who are in desperate need of new treatment options.

Kathy Fernando, SVP and Head of Pfizer Ignite, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, emphasizing Pfizer's commitment to supporting innovative therapies that align with their strategic priorities. She highlighted the potential impact of Acepodia’s scientific platform in addressing significant gaps in patient care, particularly in oncology and immunology.

Through this agreement, Acepodia will retain all rights related to the development of its programs and future partnership opportunities. This collaboration marks a significant milestone in Acepodia’s mission to advance its pipeline of ACE therapies, leveraging its ACC platform to create effective and affordable treatments for a wide range of cancers and autoimmune diseases.

Acepodia's approach involves linking tumor-targeting antibodies to proprietary immune cells, such as natural killer and gamma delta T cells, to create therapies with enhanced binding strength against tumors. The company is driven by a team of experienced leaders and scientific experts dedicated to bringing innovative cell therapies to a broad patient population across various solid tumors and hematologic cancers.

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