Trillium Adds Major Cytokine Receptor Antagonist Program

    TORONTO, June 2 /PRNewswire/ - Trillium Therapeutics Inc. (TTI) today
 announced that it has licensed exclusive worldwide rights to a series of
 highly potent pro-inflammatory cytokine receptor antagonists. The technology
 was developed at St. Justine Hospital and the University of Montreal in the
 laboratories of Drs. Sylvain Chemtob and William Lubell.
     "The combination of potent therapeutic candidates with IC50 values in the
 picomolar range, a validated immunotherapy target, impressive proof-of-
 principle in vivo data, as well as innovative and proprietary science, made
 this an ideal in-licensing opportunity for TTI", explains Dr. Bob Uger,
 Trillium's Vice President, Research & Development. "This technology is a true
 example of what can be accomplished with a rational drug design approach, and
 we welcome the opportunity to oversee and facilitate its transition from a
 research project into a development program."
     In keeping with the overall strategy for all of its projects, TTI will
 continue to work closely with the inventors, and their respective academic
 institutions, and will provide funding to support various research activities.
 The company will also expand its internal resources and broaden its external
 network of collaborators, to accommodate this new technology.
     "TTI continues to add value and reduce risk through the creation of a
 solid R&D base with multiple product opportunities. The addition of this
 promising technology allows us diversify our therapeutic approaches and
 targets, while still keeping our focus on immune-mediated disorders", adds
 Trillium CEO Dr. Niclas Stiernholm.
     Trillium Therapeutics Inc. is a privately held Research and Development
 company that specializes in the development of innovative therapies that
 restore balance to the immune system in conditions associated with aberrant
 and harmful immune responses. These include autoimmune and inflammatory
 disorders, graft rejection, cancer and viral hepatitis. The Company identifies
 therapeutic candidates with promising preclinical profiles and advances these
 into clinical testing, with the primary objective of demonstrating safety and
 efficacy in humans. TTI currently has three development programs, one based on
 the CD200 immunoregulatory protein and its receptor, a second targeting the
 novel pro-thrombinase Fgl2, and a third that focuses on cytokine receptor
 antagonists. TTI has a broad network of external R&D collaborations, including
 several with major pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
 
 
 

SOURCE  Trillium Therapeutics Inc.