RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. , May 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Asklepios BioPharmaceutical, Inc. (AskBio), a gene therapy company wholly owned and independently operated as a subsidiary of Bayer AG, will deliver 11 presentations offering insights into the research and development of adeno-associated virus (AAV) therapies for a range of diseases at the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT) 26th Annual Meeting taking place May 16–20, 2023, in Los Angeles, USA.
AskBio presentations cover pre-clinical research into immune responses to AAV, data on methods to improve the efficacy of AAV-gene therapy and research into improved analytics and bioassays. A symposium on a platform approach to AAV manufacturing will also be presented by AskBio's subsidiary Viralgen.
"Our breadth of scientific presence at ASGCT reflects the type of cutting edge pre-clinical research our teams undertake, which we believe is essential for the development of successful gene therapies in the future," said Jude Samulski, Chief Scientific Officer and Co-Founder of AskBio. "We look forward to presenting updates on pioneering work that spans the subtlety of AAV vector design, quantifiable transgene expression and preclinical efficacy, with the aim of furthering AAV therapy for additional unmet clinical needs."
With an ambitious portfolio of gene therapies at various stages of research and development, AskBio continues to develop AAV-based therapies to treat some of the world's most debilitating diseases, including congestive heart failure, Huntington's disease, limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, multiple system atrophy, Parkinson's disease, and Pompe disease. By targeting these therapy areas, AskBio aims to deliver breakthrough treatments that could benefit more than 35 million patients worldwide.1–7
AskBio's presentations at ASGCT include:
About AskBio
Asklepios BioPharmaceutical, Inc. (AskBio), a wholly owned and independently operated subsidiary of Bayer AG, is a fully integrated gene therapy company dedicated to developing life-saving medicines and changing lives. The company maintains a portfolio of clinical programs across a range of neuromuscular, central nervous system, cardiovascular and metabolic disease indications with a clinical-stage pipeline that includes therapeutics for congestive heart failure, Huntington's disease, limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, multiple system atrophy, Parkinson's disease, and Pompe disease. AskBio's gene therapy platform includes Pro10™, an industry-leading proprietary cell line manufacturing process, and an extensive capsid and promoter library. With global headquarters in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, and European headquarters in Edinburgh, Scotland, the company has generated hundreds of proprietary capsids and promoters, several of which have entered clinical testing. An early innovator in the gene therapy field, with over 800 employees in five countries, the company holds more than 750 patents in areas such as AAV production and chimeric and self-complementary capsids. Learn more at www.askbio.com or follow us on LinkedIn.
About Viralgen
Viralgen, an independently operated Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO), was founded in 2017 as a joint venture between AskBio and Columbus Venture Partners (a venture capital firm based in Spain). As one of the world's leading manufacturers of cGMP-certified AAV, Viralgen uses the Pro10TM based suspension manufacturing platform, a technology licensed from AskBio and developed by CTO Josh Grieger and co-founder R. Jude Samulski, PhD, at University of North Carolina. It is believed that Pro10™ increases scalability, performance and precision of AAV therapies. Located in Spain, in the Gipuzkoa Science and Technology Park, Viralgen produces AAV gene therapy treatments for pharmaceutical and biotech companies with the aim of accelerating the delivery of new treatments that can improve patients' lives.
The company's clinical facilities have four cGMP manufacturing suites, with 250-liter and 500-liter bioreactors. In 2020, Viralgen expanded within the scientific park by constructing a new building for large-scale commercial manufacturing. The new state-of-the-art facility includes three additional cGMP suites with a manufacturing capacity of 2,000 liters each, as well as a suite dedicated to fully automated fill and finish operations. The new facility has received cGMP certification by the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices (AEMPS) as part of the EMA network.
For more information, visit viralgenvc.com.
About Bayer
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. Its products and services are designed to help people and the planet thrive, by supporting efforts to master the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. Bayer is committed to driving sustainable development and generating a positive impact with its businesses. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. The Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2022, the Group employed around 101,000 people and had sales of 50.7 billion euros. R&D expenses before special items amounted to 6.2 billion euros. For more information, go to www.bayer.com.
AskBio Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements." Any statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Words such as "believes," "anticipates," "plans," "expects," "will," "intends," "potential," "possible" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include without limitation statements regarding AskBio's clinical trials. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond AskBio's control. Known risks include, among others: AskBio may not be able to execute on its business plans and goals, including meeting its expected or planned clinical and regulatory milestones and timelines, its reliance on third-parties, clinical development plans, manufacturing processes and plans, and bringing its product candidates to market, due to a variety of reasons, including possible limitations of company financial and other resources, manufacturing limitations that may not be anticipated or resolved in a timely manner, potential disagreements or other issues with our third-party collaborators and partners, and regulatory, court or agency feedback or decisions, such as feedback and decisions from the United States Food and Drug Administration or the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Any of the foregoing risks could materially and adversely affect AskBio's business and results of operations. You should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. AskBio does not undertake any obligation to publicly update its forward-looking statements based on events or circumstances after the date hereof.
References
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