AltruBio Announces Formation of Scientific Advisory Board

World-renowned researchers with extensive experience in immunology and autoimmune diseases join AltruBio to support scientific advancements and pipeline development

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AltruBio Inc. (“AltruBio” or “the Company”), a clinical stage biotech company developing novel immune checkpoint enhancers to address the unmet need in immunological and inflammatory diseases, with a lead candidate in ulcerative colitis (UC), today announced the formation of its scientific advisory board (SAB), comprising esteemed researchers Vijay Kuchroo, DVM, Ph.D., Bernard Malissen, Ph.D., and Arlene Sharpe, M.D., Ph.D.

The SAB will collaborate closely with AltruBio’s leadership team to support the company’s research and development (R&D) initiatives, including advancing its novel immune checkpoint enhancer (ICE) PSGL-1 agonist antibody, ALTB-268, which is currently in Phase 2a trials for ulcerative colitis (UC). The SAB will also offer scientific guidance to shape long-term R&D strategies as AltruBio explores other potential indications where ALTB-268 could benefit patients and expands its pipeline.

“We are honored to welcome Dr. Kuchroo, Dr. Malissen, and Dr. Sharpe to our Scientific Advisory Board,” said Dr. Judy Chou, President and Chief Executive Officer of AltruBio. “Their extensive research in Immunology has been instrumental in advancing immunotherapies and deepening the understanding of autoimmune diseases. Having such distinguished scientists on our SAB not only adds significant credibility to AltruBio’s unique scientific mechanism but also validates our approach in developing novel therapies. We look forward to collaborating to further advance our science and pipeline.”

Vijay K Kuchroo, DVM, Ph.D., Chair of the Board, added,” AltruBio’s science and approach is highly differentiated, targeting PSGL-1 to downregulate chronically activated late-stage effector T cells. I look forward to contributing my expertise and working with AltruBio to help advance potential groundbreaking therapies forward for the many patients with immunological and inflammatory diseases in need of more effective and safe therapeutics.”

AltruBio’s SAB is comprised of the following members:

Vijay K Kuchroo, DVM, Ph.D., Chair of the Board
Dr. Kuchroo is the Samuel L. Wasserstrom Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School and a Senior Scientist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He is also the founding Director of The Gene Lay Institute, a Member of the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, and an investigator in the Klarman Cell Observatory. His research focuses on autoimmunity, particularly co-stimulation, the genetic basis of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, and multiple sclerosis (MS). His lab was the first to describe the TIM family of genes, identifying TIM3 as an inhibitory receptor on T cells, now targeted in cancer immunotherapy. Dr. Kuchroo’s research has contributed significantly to understanding the immune mechanisms driving MS. His efforts continue to pave the way for improved treatments and potential cures for autoimmune diseases. Dr. Kuchroo has published over 400 research articles, and he has received several prestigious awards, including the National Institutes of Health Javits Investigator Award, the Dr. William E. Paul Distinguished Innovator Award from the Lupus Research Alliance, and the Dystel Prize for MS Research from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. In 2021, he was named a Distinguished Fellow by the American Association of Immunologists, recognizing his pioneering work in T cell biology and CNS autoimmunity. Dr. Kuchroo earned his Ph.D. from the University of Queensland, Australia.

Bernard Malissen, Ph.D.
Dr. Malissen, founder and director of the Centre for Immunophenomics (CIPHE, INSERM-CNRS) and ex- Director of the Center for Immunology at Marseille-Luminy (CIML), is a pioneering immunologist renowned for his groundbreaking work in T cell receptor (TCR) biology and immune system signaling. He was the first to use gene transfer approaches to dissect the function of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules and successfully reconstructed the TCR complex, providing key insights into its evolution and signalling mechanisms. Dr. Malissen also made significant contributions to understanding transplant rejection by elucidating the atomic structure of an alloreactive TCR complexed with its peptide-MHC ligand. Recently, he has applied "omic" approaches to map TCR signaling networks and better understand the fine-tuning of immune responses. With over 400 publications, Dr. Malissen is one of the most highly cited researchers in immunology. He has been awarded the INSERM Grand Prize and the Behring-Metchnikoff Immunology Prize, among other honors, and is a member of the French Academy of Sciences. Dr. Malissen holds a Doctor of Science degree from the University of Aix-Marseille.

Arlene Sharpe, M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. Arlene Sharpe is the Kolokotrones University Professor at Harvard University, Chair of the Department of Immunology at Harvard Medical School, and Vice Director of the Gene Lay Institute. She is a leader in cancer immunology, and an authority on T cell co-stimulation. Her groundbreaking research helped uncover the functions of key immunoinhibitory pathways, including PD-1 and CTLA-4, laying the foundation for immune checkpoint blockade therapies. Her discoveries enabled the development of therapies like pembrolizumab and nivolumab. In addition to her role at Harvard, Dr. Sharpe serves as a Member of the Department of Pathology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, as well as the Leader of the Cancer Immunology Program at Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center. She has published over 400 papers and is consistently ranked among the one of the most highly cited researchers in immunology. Her numerous awards include the William B. Coley Award, Warren Alpert Foundation Prize, FASEB Excellence in Science Lifetime Achievement Award, AAI Lifetime Achievement Award the Harrington Prize for Innovation in Medicine, and the David and Beatrix Hamburg Award for Advances in Biomedical Research and Clinical Medicine from the National Academy of Medicine. Dr. Sharpe is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Medicine, and American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She earned her M.D. and Ph.D. from Harvard Medical School and completed her residency in Pathology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

About AltruBio Inc.
AltruBio is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel therapies leveraging immune checkpoint agonism to address unmet medical needs in immunological and inflammatory diseases. The Company’s lead candidate, ALTB-268, acts as an immune checkpoint enhancer (ICE), designed to activate natural pathways that downregulate a chronically overactivated immune system to restore balance. ALTB-268 operates through a unique mechanism of action, targeting PSGL-1, a key immune checkpoint regulator. It preferentially targets and downregulates chronically activated late-stage effector T cells, leading to their exhaustion and apoptosis. Currently being evaluated in a Phase 2 trial in ulcerative colitis, ALTB-268 holds the potential to be a pipeline in a product to address a range of inflammatory diseases, which AltruBio plans to explore in upcoming Phase 2 trials. Led by an expert team with successful track records in drug development and commercialization in immunology, AltruBio is dedicated to delivering safer, more effective, and durable biologic treatments to improve the lives of patients.

Contacts

AltruBio Inc:
+1-415-655-6603
info@altrubio.com

Media Contact:
LifeSci Communications
Luke Shiplo
lshiplo@lifescicomms.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5c68c17e-64d1-49ab-880e-105258e40558

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AltruBio's New Scientific Advisory Board