Cellenkos® enters into Sponsored Research Agreement with Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York.

• Research exploring CK0804 (CXCR4-enriched, allogeneic, cord blood-derived T-regulatory cells) for treatment of myelofibrosis patients.

HOUSTON and NEW YORK, April 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Cellenkos^®, a clinical stage biotech cell therapy company focused on treating autoimmune diseases and inflammatory disorders, today announced that it has entered into a sponsored research agreement with the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, to explore the application of CK0804, CXCR4 enriched, allogeneic, cord blood T regulatory (Treg) cells, for treatment of myelofibrosis. This research will be conducted under the guidance of Ronald Hoffman, MD, Albert A. and Vera G. List Professor of Medicine and Director of the Myeloproliferative Disorders Research Program at The Tisch Cancer Institute- Mount Sinai.

"We are very excited by our collaboration with Mount Sinai and eagerly anticipate gaining a deeper understanding of mechanisms of CK0804 Tregs work in myelofibrosis, especially to decrease inflammation," said Tara Sadeghi, Chief Operating Officer, Cellenkos Inc. "CK0804 is already in phase 1 clinical trial to examine its safety and efficacy in patients with myelofibrosis who have suboptimal response to the JAK2 inhibitor, ruxolitinib. We are particularly intrigued by the possibility of using CK0804 in treatment naïve myelofibrosis patients as well as in combination with other approved therapies including ruxolitinib, momelotinib, pacritinib and fedratinib."

"We are eager to find out if this novel cell therapy product has the potential to transform the care of myelofibrosis patients," said Dr. Ronald Hoffman, principal investigator, "We will investigate the role of Treg cells in the pathogenesis of the myeloproliferative neoplasms and examine the effectiveness of CK0804, especially in patients with low blood counts."

CK0804 is a novel allogeneic, CXCR4 enriched, Treg cell therapy product that utilizes Cellenkos' proprietary CRANE^® technology to generate disease specific products. CK0804 engage with CXCL12 ligand and preferentially home to the inflamed bone marrow. When compared to control, CK0804 significantly decrease TGFβ1 and TGFβ2, in vivo. The ongoing, multicenter, first-in-human, Phase 1b trial, shows safety of multiple doses of CK0804 in myelofibrosis patients in the ambulatory setting as well as improvement in their blood transfusion requirements, spleen volume reduction and symptom burden. The ability to administer CK0804 cells in ambulatory setting without requiring lymphodepletion or immune suppression, positions this potentially lifesaving treatment to be made available to patients in the community setting. The trial is open for accrual at Albert Einstein Hospital, Bronx, NY, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX and University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA. ClinicalTrials.gov ID NCT05423691.

Dr. Ronald Hoffman serves as a paid consultant for Cellenkos. 

About Cellenkos^®, Inc. 

Cellenkos is a clinical-stage biotechnology company located in Houston, Texas, USA, dedicated to the development and commercialization of the allogeneic, "off-the-shelf" cell-based products for the treatment of rare inflammatory diseases and autoimmune disorders. Cellenkos' T regulatory cells (Tregs) are derived from umbilical cord blood and as such are naïve, bonafide suppressor cells that do not require HLA or ABO matching and resolve inflammation through multiple direct and indirect mechanisms.

Cellenkos' proprietary CRANE^® technology platform tailors Tregs to home to target tissue. Cellenkos' current clinical portfolio includes CK0801 (bone marrow failure); CK0802 (COVID associated acute respiratory distress syndrome); CK0803 (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) and CK0804 (myelofibrosis). For more information, please visit www.cellenkosinc.com.

Contact: 
Stacy Minor
[email protected].

SOURCE Cellenkos, Inc.