Circio presents pre-clinical proof-of-concept data for its circVec gene therapy platform at the ASGCT 2024 meeting

• Two posters demonstrate in vivo superiority of circular RNA vs. linear mRNA-based expression and technical proof-of-concept for Circio´s ´remove-&-replace´ gene therapy format for the unmet medical need AATD
• The posters were presented at the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT) 2024 annual meeting 7-11 May in Baltimore, USA

Oslo, Norway, 13 May 2024 – Circio Holding ASA (OSE: CRNA), a biotechnology company developing circular RNA-based gene therapy, today announces that it has presented two posters that demonstrate in vivo proof-of-concept for its powerful and differentiated circVec platform approach to gene therapy. The two posters were presented at the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT) 2024 annual meeting 7-11 May in Baltimore, USA

“Circio has generated results demonstrating that the circVec 2.1 design performs very well in vitro. We have now confirmed this in vivo with statistically significant higher expression level and durability for circVec 2.1 DNA vectors compared to standard linear mRNA-based expression. These results provide an important technical proof-of-concept for Circio´s technology platform in an animal model. We now have confirmation for our expectation that this could translate into improved gene therapies for patients in the future,” said Dr. Thomas B Hansen, CTO at Circio. “In recent experiments, Circio has observed up to four months circVec durability in vivo. This substantially outperforms mRNA vector expression. Following these results, we can rapidly advance to design and test circVec in several AAV and DNA-based vectors. This will validate these very promising data in therapeutically relevant formats.”  

At ASGCT, Circio also presented the dual-function ‘remove-&-replace’ concept for Alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency (AATD). This genetic disease causes severe symptoms in the lung and liver. There are currently no satisfactory therapeutic options available for this indication and AATD still represents a major unmet medical need. There are over 200,000 AATD patients affected in the USA and EU alone. With the technologically differentiated circVec remove-&-replace format, Circio has developed a unique gene therapy concept that can deal with both the lung and liver-associated symptoms in one single therapeutic. 

“AATD is a challenging genetic disease to treat. This is in part due to the two distinct pathologies in the liver and lung,” said Dr. Victor Levitsky, CSO at Circio. “We have now established and technically validated circVec constructs that can both replenish functional wild-type AAT and specifically remove more than 90% of the mutated protein. This is challenging to achieve because the functional and mutant forms are very similar. By using circular RNA-based AAT expression, Circio is uniquely able to separate the two species for mutant-specific knockdown, thereby solving two problems with one single product.”

Optimization and In Vivo Performance of circVec, a Vector-Based Circular RNA Expression Platform;   O´Leary et al. ASGCT 2024

Expressing AAT from circular RNA-encoding vectors as a promising gene therapy approach for Alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency; O´Leary et al. ASGCT 2024

For further information, please contact:
Erik Digman Wiklund, CEO
Phone: +47 413 33 536
Email: erik.wiklund@circio.com

Lubor Gaal, CFO
Phone: +34 683343811
Email: lubor.gaal@circio.com

About Circio

Building next generation RNA therapeutics

Circio Holding ASA is a biotechnology company developing novel circular RNA gene therapies and immunotherapy medicines.

Circio has established a unique circular RNA (circRNA) platform for genetic medicine. The proprietary circVec technology is based on a modular genetic cassette design for efficient biogenesis of multifunctional circRNA from DNA and viral vectors, which can be deployed in multiple disease settings. The circVec platform has demonstrated enhanced and more durable protein expression than classic mRNA vector systems and has the potential to become the new gold-standard for DNA and virus-based therapeutics in the future. The circRNA R&D activities are being conducted by the wholly owned subsidiary Circio AB based at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden.

In addition, Circio is developing a cancer vaccine, TG01, targeting KRAS driver mutations. TG01 is currently being tested in three clinical trials: RAS-mutated pancreatic cancer and lung and non-resectable pancreatic cancer in US, and multiple myeloma in Norway. These studies are being run through academic collaborative networks, supported by prestigious research grants from Innovation Norway and the Norwegian Research Council, creating read-outs and future optionality for the program at low cost to Circio.

For more information please contact:

Neil Hunter

Hunter PR
neiljameshunter@gmail.com
+44 7821 255568