Equillium partners with Vivtex for oral autoimmune therapy

Massachusetts-based biotech company Vivtex and Swiss company Equillium have entered into a collaboration to enhance the bioavailability of Equillium's autoimmune therapy, EQ302, using Vivtex’s AI-powered screening platform. Announced on September 16, this partnership aims to support EQ302’s development as Equillium plans to begin a Phase I trial in the latter part of 2025. Although the financial terms have not been disclosed, Equillium has the option to enter a licensing agreement that could make Vivtex eligible for royalties and other payments.

EQ302 is a peptide that targets interleukins (IL)-15 and IL-21, cytokines involved in the pathology of several inflammatory conditions. To optimize its bioavailability, Equillium will utilize Vivtex’s GI-ORIS (gastrointestinal organic robotic interface system) platform. This AI-enhanced technology employs porcine gastrointestinal tissue for high-throughput screening.

EQ302 is derived from a previously promising precursor, EQ102, which was tested in a Phase I trial for celiac disease. However, EQ102 was abandoned after Phase II data revealed inadequate bioavailability. Unlike its predecessor, which was administered via subcutaneous injection, EQ302 is designed as an oral formulation.

Currently, EQ302 is in preclinical trials for various conditions, including inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, eosinophilic esophagitis, and skin inflammation. It forms part of Equillium's developmental pipeline, which also includes EQ101, a trispecific cytokine inhibitor undergoing Phase II trials for cancers and alopecia, and itolizumab, a monoclonal antibody aimed at the CD6-ALCAM pathway.

Itolizumab is Equillium's most advanced candidate and is in a Phase III trial for acute graft-versus-host disease. Projections by GlobalData suggest that itolizumab could generate an annual revenue of $180 million for Equillium by 2030.

The announcement of the partnership had a minor impact on Equillium’s stock price, which rose slightly from $0.87 to $0.90. Despite this uptick, the company’s stock has generally been on a downward trend since reaching a high of $19.69 in November 2018. Equillium's market capitalization currently stands at $30.47 million.

Stephen Connelly, Chief Scientific Officer of Equillium, expressed confidence in Vivtex's technology in a statement about the partnership. This sentiment was echoed by Maureen Deehan, CEO of Vivtex, who emphasized that the collaboration aims to accelerate the development of more effective, accessible, and less burdensome treatments, highlighting improved patient compliance as a significant advantage of the oral formulation.

This agreement represents a strategic effort by both companies to leverage advanced technology to address existing challenges in the treatment of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, potentially leading to more convenient and effective therapies for patients.