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The MOU signed by CytoMed and Hangzhou CNK Therapeutics Co., Ltd is the first of several collaborative efforts in North Asia.
SINGAPORE, Aug. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- CytoMed Therapeutics Limited (NASDAQ: GDTC) ("CytoMed" or "Company"), a Singapore-based biopharmaceutical company focused on harnessing its proprietary technologies to develop novel donor-derived cell-based immunotherapies for the treatment of various cancers, announces today that it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Hangzhou CNK Therapeutics Co., Ltd (CNK). With this agreement, CytoMed can utilize CNK's PiggyBac technology to permanently graft the Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) gene into its gamma delta (γδ) T cells via a non-viral gene editing method.
"We are currently using mRNA technology whereby the CAR gene is transient, and hence, the CAR expression would cease after a period of time, leaving non-CAR γδ T cells in the patient's body," said Dr. Tan Wee Kiat, Chief Operating Officer of CytoMed. "The γδ T cells that remain continue to be cytotoxic with the ability to kill cancer cells. Leveraging CNK's technology, the CAR gene now would be expressed for as long as the γδ T cells are present in the body. This means that the CAR-γδ T cells can now exert a targeted attack for as long as it is present in the patient's body, potentially increasing the efficacy of our CAR γδ T cells in the patient."
CytoMed was initially introduced to this opportunity by Professor Wang Shu, an advisor on the CytoMed Scientific Advisory Committee and co-inventor of the Company's CAR γδ T cell technology. Professor Wang Shu's deep understanding of cell therapy research, specifically CytoMed's technology, made it possible to discern the potential matching synergy between CytoMed and CNK's PiggyBac technologies.
The MOU has a duration of one year, with the option to renew, and is subject to a definitive agreement and customary closing conditions. There remains a potential opportunity for a joint venture to conduct clinical trials in China.
The signing ceremony took place on Tuesday, August 15 at the 17th Singapore-Zhejiang Economic and Trade Council Meeting. In attendance was Senior Minister of State for National Development and Foreign Affairs Sim Ann and Zhejiang Vice Governor Lu Shan.
"Such strategic partnerships augment CytoMed's technology and bring us one step closer to our goal of advancing affordable, "off-the-shelf" allogeneic cellular immunotherapies for a broad spectrum of cancers," said Peter Choo, Chairman of CytoMed. "We look forward to continuing our growth with new and innovative partnerships."
About CytoMed Therapeutics Limited (CytoMed)
Incorporated in 2018, CytoMed was spun off from the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore's leading research and development agency in the public sector. It is a biopharmaceutical company focused on harnessing its licensed proprietary technologies to create novel cell-based immunotherapies for the treatment of human cancers. The development of novel technologies has been inspired by the clinical success of existing CAR-T therapies in treating hematological malignancies, as well as the current clinical limitations and commercial challenges in extrapolating the CAR-T principle into the treatment of solid tumors. For more information, please visit www.cytomed.sg and follow us on Twitter @CytomedSG,on LinkedIn, and Facebook
Forward Look Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements that are other than statements of historical facts. When the Company uses words such as "may, "will, "intend," "should," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "project," "estimate" or similar expressions that do not relate solely to historical matters, it is making forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations discussed in the forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to uncertainties and risks including, but not limited to, the following: the Company's plans to develop and commercialize its product candidates; the initiation, timing, progress and results of the Company's current and future pre-clinical studies and clinical trials and the Company's R&D programs; the Company's expectations regarding the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on its business, the Company's industry and the economy; the Company's estimates regarding expenses, future revenue, capital requirements and needs for additional financing; the Company's ability to successfully acquire or obtain licenses for additional product candidates on reasonable terms; the Company's ability to establish and maintain collaborations and/or obtain additional funding and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing and other risks contained in reports filed by the Company with the SEC. For these reasons, among others, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements in this press release. Additional factors are discussed in the Company's filings with the SEC, which are available for review at www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly revise these forward–looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date hereof.
