Anemia, Hemolytic, Congenital

2024 Harrington Prize for Innovation in Medicine Recognizes Pioneering Work in Immunology CLEVELAND, March 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The eleventh annual Harrington Prize for Innovation in Medicine has been awarded to Arlene H. Sharpe, MD, PhD, Kolokotrones University Professor and Chair of the Department of Immunology at Harvard Medical School. The award recognizes her breakthrough discoveries in immune regulation, which have established foundational principles in immunology and led to new cancer therapies that act by boosting the immune response to cancer. The Harrington Prize for Innovation in Medicine, established in 2014 by the Harrington Discovery Institute at University Hospitals and the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI), honors physician-scientists who have moved science forward with achievements notable for innovation, creativity and potential for clinical application. Dr. Sharpe's research in immunology has led to significant advances in medical treatments. Her work helped identify key pathways that restrain the activity of T lymphocytes (immune cells) to fight cancer. Her work defined the PD-1 pathway and its immunoinhibitory functions as well as the inhibitory functions of CTLA-4 to restrain the activity of the immune system. Dr. Sharpe's research thus laid the foundation for the development of 'immune checkpoint inhibitors', drugs that target PD-1 and related pathways. These therapies, including pembrolizumab and nivolumab, have been approved by the FDA for treating numerous types of cancer. They work by preventing inhibition of T cell function, thereby unleashing the body's immune system to fight cancer cells more effectively. This approach has become a cornerstone in cancer treatment strategies. "Dr. Sharpe's body of work has shaped our understanding of the role of the T cell in regulating the immune response. Her innovative scientific discoveries are among the best examples of bench-to-bedside work in the past three decades," said Benjamin D. Humphreys, MD, PhD, Joseph Friedman Professor of Renal Diseases in Medicine and Chief, Division of Nephrology, Washington University in St. Louis and 2023-2024 President of the ASCI. "Immune checkpoint inhibitors are drugs that allow for dramatic remission, and even cures, of cancers that had previously been considered untreatable. Dr. Sharpe's foundational insights have thus been harnessed to transform cancer therapy. Her work provides a beautiful example of physician impact through creative science," said Jonathan S. Stamler, MD, President, Harrington Discovery Institute, Robert S. and Sylvia K. Reitman Family Foundation Distinguished Professor of Cardiovascular Innovation and Professor of Medicine and of Biochemistry at University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve University. A committee composed of members of the ASCI Council and the Harrington Discovery Institute Scientific Advisory Board reviewed nominations from leading academic medical centers globally before selecting the 2024 Harrington Prize recipient. In addition to sharing the Prize's $20,000 honorarium, Dr. Sharpe will deliver the Harrington Prize Lecture at the 2024 AAP/ASCI/APSA Joint Meeting on April 5, will be a featured speaker at the 2024 Harrington Scientific Symposium May 22-23, and will publish an essay in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. The Harrington Prize has recognized outstanding and diverse innovations in medicine: 2014: Harry Dietz, MD, Johns Hopkins University, for his contributions to the understanding of the biology and treatment of Marfan syndrome, a disorder leading to deadly aneurysms in children and adults. 2015: Douglas R. Lowy, MD, The National Cancer Institute, in recognition of his discoveries that led to the development of the Human Papillomavirus vaccine to prevent cervical cancer. 2016: Jeffrey M. Friedman, MD, PhD, The Rockefeller University, for his discovery of leptin, which controls feeding behavior and is used to treat related clinical disorders. 2017: Jointly awarded to Daniel J. Drucker, MD, Mount Sinai Hospital, Canada, Joel F. Habener, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Jens J. Holst, MD, DMSc, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, for their discovery of incretin hormones and for the translation of these findings into transformative therapies for major metabolic diseases such as diabetes. 2018: Helen H. Hobbs, MD, UT Southwestern Medical Center, for the discovery of the link between a gene mutation (PCSK9) and lower levels of LDL, which has improved the treatment of high cholesterol. 2019: Carl H. June, MD, University of Pennsylvania, for advancing the clinical application of CAR T therapy for cancer treatment, and for his sustained contributions to the field of cellular immunology. 2020: Stuart H. Orkin, MD, Harvard University, for breakthrough discoveries on red blood cells that offer new treatments for patients with sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia, which are among the most common genetic disorders. 2021: Warren J. Leonard, MD, and John J. O'Shea, MD, NIH, for their respective contributions to the field of immunology, from fundamental discovery to therapeutic impact. 2022: James E. Crowe Jr., MD, and Michel C. Nussenzweig, MD, PhD, for their groundbreaking work, which has elucidated fundamental principles of the human immune response and enabled the use of human antibodies to treat COVID-19. 2023: Jean Bennett, MD, PhD, and Albert M. Maguire, MD, for their groundbreaking translational research to restore sight in inherited genetic diseases. SOURCE Harrington Discovery Institute

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., March 19, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Jasper Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: JSPR) (Jasper), a biotechnology company focused on development of briquilimab, a novel antibody therapy targeting c-Kit (CD117) in mast cell driven diseases such as chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) and chronic inducible urticaria (CIndU), today announced that the first patient has been dosed in Jasper’s Phase 1b/2a (SPOTLIGHT) clinical study of subcutaneous briquilimab for the treatment of CIndU. The SPOTLIGHT study is evaluating a single administration, at two different dose levels, of subcutaneous briquilimab in adult patients with cold urticaria (ColdU) or symptomatic dermographism (SD). “We are excited to announce dosing of the first patient in the SPOTLIGHT study in patients with CIndU, our second clinical program evaluating briquilimab in a mast cell-mediated disease,” said Edwin Tucker, Chief Medical Officer of Jasper. “As with our BEACON study in CSU, we expect the SPOTLIGHT study to establish proof of concept for the depletion of mast cells by briquilimab in CIndU and help us to determine doses and dosing regimens for future registrational studies. We plan to provide enrollment updates as we progress through the study and anticipate reporting preliminary data in the second half of 2024.” The SPOTLIGHT study is expected to enroll approximately 15 patients across 2 dose cohorts. The primary endpoints are safety and tolerability of briquilimab with secondary endpoints focused on efficacy measures and pharmacokinetics. The study is being conducted at four sites in the EU. Jasper anticipates reporting preliminary data from the SPOTLIGHT study in the second half of 2024. “c-Kit inhibitors are a promising class of monoclonal therapeutics with demonstrated efficacy in mast cell driven diseases,” said Marcus Maurer, M.D., Professor of Dermatology and Allergy at Charité – Universitätsmedizin in Berlin. “As a potent and differentiated c-Kit inhibitor, I believe briquilimab has the potential to serve as an important treatment option for patients suffering from CIndU, and I look forward to enrolling patients into the SPOTLIGHT study and additionally into the BEACON study for CSU.” About Briquilimab Briquilimab (formerly JSP191) is a targeted aglycosylated monoclonal antibody that blocks stem cell factor from binding to the cell-surface receptor c-Kit, also known as CD117, thereby inhibiting signaling through the receptor. This inhibition disrupts the critical survival signal, leading to the depletion of the mast cells via apoptosis which removes the underlying source of the inflammatory response in mast cell driven diseases such as chronic urticaria. Jasper is currently conducting clinical studies of briquilimab as a treatment in patients with CSU or with CIndU. Briquilimab is also currently in clinical studies as a treatment for patients with LR-MDS and as a conditioning agent for cell therapies for rare diseases. To date, briquilimab has a demonstrated efficacy and safety pro more than 145 dosed participants and healthy volunteers, with clinical outcomes as a conditioning agent in severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), AML, MDS, FA, and sickle cell disease (SCD). About Jasper Jasper is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing briquilimab, a monoclonal antibody targeting c-Kit (CD117) as a therapeutic for chronic mast and stem cell diseases such as chronic urticaria and lower to intermediate risk MDS and as a conditioning agent for stem cell transplants for rare diseases such as SCD, FA and SCID. To date, briquilimab has a demonstrated efficacy and safety pro more than 145 dosed participants and healthy volunteers, with clinical outcomes as a conditioning agent in SCID, AML, MDS, FA, and SCD. For more information, please visit us at . Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements included in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are sometimes accompanied by words such as “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” “should,” “would,” “plan,” “predict,” “potential,” “seem,” “seek,” “future,” “outlook” and similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding briquilimab’s potential, including with respect to its potential in mast cell driven diseases such as CSU and CIndU and its potential to serve as an important treatment option for patients suffering from CIndU; Jasper’s expectations regarding its Phase 1b/2a SPOTLIGHT study of subcutaneous briquilimab in CIndU, including the expected enrollment, cohorts and site locations, the expected timing for reporting preliminary data, the expectation that the SPOTLIGHT or BEACON studies will establish proof of concept or help Jasper determine doses and dosing regimens for future registrational studies; and Jasper’s expectations regarding its BEACON study in CSU, including the expectation that Jasper will enroll additional patients in the BEACON study for CSU. These statements are based on various assumptions, whether or not identified in this press release, and on the current expectations of Jasper and are not predictions of actual performance. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as, and must not be relied on by an investor as, a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond the control of Jasper. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including general economic, political and business conditions; the risk that the potential product candidates that Jasper develops may not progress through clinical development or receive required regulatory approvals within expected timelines or at all; the risk that clinical trials may not confirm any safety, potency or other product characteristics described or assumed in this press release; the risk that Jasper will be unable to successfully market or gain market acceptance of its product candidates; the risk that prior study results may not be replicated; the risk that Jasper’s product candidates may not be beneficial to patients or successfully commercialized; patients’ willingness to try new therapies and the willingness of physicians to prescribe these therapies; the effects of competition on Jasper’s business; the risk that third parties on which Jasper depends for laboratory, clinical development, manufacturing and other critical services will fail to perform satisfactorily; the risk that Jasper’s business, operations, clinical development plans and timelines, and supply chain could be adversely affected by the effects of health epidemics; the risk that Jasper will be unable to obtain and maintain sufficient intellectual property protection for its investigational products or will infringe the intellectual property protection of others; and other risks and uncertainties indicated from time to time in Jasper’s filings with the SEC, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. If any of these risks materialize or Jasper’s assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. While Jasper may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, Jasper specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Jasper’s assessments of any date subsequent to the date of this press release. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed upon the forward-looking statements. Contacts: Joyce Allaire (investors) LifeSci Advisors 617-435-6602 jallaire@lifesciadvisors.com Alex Gray (investors) Jasper Therapeutics 650-549-1454 agray@jaspertherapeutics.com Lauren Walker (media) Real Chemistry 646-564-2156 lbarbiero@realchemistry.com

Pictured: bluebird bio logo on wall/device, courtesy of Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Bluebird bio on Monday announced that it has signed a five-year, term loan deal with Hercules Capital, providing the biotech with up to $175 million in debt financing to support its launch activities for sickle cell disease gene therapy Lyfgenia. Under the terms of the loan agreement, Hercules will make an initial $75 million tranche upon closing the transaction. Bluebird will then be able to withdraw two more tranches, each worth $25 million, contingent on specific commercial milestones. Assuming bluebird meets its milestones, the company will be eligible to receive an aggregate of $125 million, extending the biotech’s cash runway through the first quarter of 2026. According to its most recent financial report—covering the third quarter of 2023—bluebird had $227 million in cash, cash equivalents, marketable securities and restricted cash, which would last the company through the second quarter of this year. Hercules will also have the “sole discretion” of providing a fourth payment tranche worth $50 million, bumping the cumulative loan value up to $175 million. During the first three years of the loan deal, bluebird will only be on the hook for interest on any amount borrowed. J. Wood Capital Advisors served as the sole financial advisor for bluebird, while Latham & Watkin LLP was its legal counsel. DLA Piper was legal counsel to Hercules. Bluebird CFO Chris Krawtschuk in a statement said that the debt financing agreement with Hercules “underscores the value bluebird offers as a standalone gene therapy leader,” while also extending the biotech’s runway and “bolstering our ability to bring transformative treatments to patients and their families.” Bluebird’s sickle cell disease gene therapy Lyfgenia (lovotibeglogene autotemcel) won the FDA’s approval in December 2023, but it did not generate the investor enthusiasm that the company might have been hoping for. In the hours following the regulatory victory, bluebird’s shares started tanking and the biotech closed the day down nearly 35%. There are several explanations for the dip—including Lyfgenia’s boxed warning and the lack of a priority voucher—but perhaps the strongest factor is Lyfgenia’s price. Soon after the FDA’s approval, bluebird announced that the gene therapy would have a wholesale acquisition price of $3.1 million, making it nearly $1 million more expensive than Vertex Pharmaceuticals and CRISPR Therapeutics’ Casgevy (exagamglogene autotemcel), which was approved on the same day as Lyfgenia and costs $2.2 million. Bluebird has since been able to secure two deals to help broaden the coverage for Lyfgenia and has also accessed two funding opportunities to potentially add $250 million to its cash position. Tristan Manalac is an independent science writer based in Metro Manila, Philippines. Reach out to him on LinkedIn or email him at tristan@tristanmanalac.com or tristan.manalac@biospace.com.