Idogen initiates collaboration with the University of Oxford

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Idogen AB (“Idogen”) has initiated a collaboration with Richard Williams’ research group at the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology at the University of Oxford. Using a research model of rheumatoid arthritis, the collaboration will investigate the treatment effect of follow-up molecules to Zebularine, which Idogen identified and filed for patent protection for this Spring.

The company announced in April 2016 that four new substances which increase the expression of IDO1 had been identified, but with somewhat different mechanisms of action than Zebularine. Idogen is now initiating a collaboration with Richard Williams’ research group at the University of Oxford to investigate the effect of these new substances in a rheumatoid arthritis model. Richard Williams, who is a member of Idogen’s scientific advisory board, conducts prominent basic research related to the enzyme IDO1 and rheumatoid arthritis. The Kennedy Institute is world famous in rheumatoid arthritic research and results

from it have led to one of the main pharmaceutical treatments for rheumatoid arthritis. Richard Williams has previously carried out a successful study which showed prolonged effect of Zebularine-treatment in a preclinical model of rheumatoid arthritis. Idogen’s researchers have previously shown that Zebularine increases the expression of IDO1 in the human cell line THP-1. The enzyme IDO1 is of central importance for the dendritic cells' ability to create immune tolerance, that is to get the immune system to tolerate a specific antigen and thus consider it as endogenous. 

For additional information, please contact:

Lars Hedbys, CEO

Tel: +46 - 46 - 275 63 30

E-mail: lars.hedbys@idogen.com

Idogen develops tolerogenic vaccines which reprogrammes the immune system. The term "tolerogenic" refers to that the immune system will tolerate the selected molecule after treatment. It represents a new treatment method for autoimmune diseases, organ rejection after transplantation and patients without treatment after developing antibodies against standard treatment. The first indication for the therapy will be patients with the bleeding disorder hemophilia A who have developed an immunological reaction against their necessary factor VIII replacement.
The treatment method comprise that cells from the patient's blood are reprogrammed to dendritic cells with capacity to specifically counteract the adverse immune reaction. The company's platform technology has the potential to develop long-acting treatment of anti-drug antibodies as well as autoimmune diseases that currently can not be cured. In addition, Idogen has the potential to change the transplantation market by reducing the need for immunosuppressive therapy after transplantation.
Idogen was founded in 2008 based on a fundamental immunological discovery at Lund University. For more information, visit www.idogen.com

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