IM Therapeutics to Present at the B & T Cell-Mediated Autoimmune Disease Drug Development Summit, October 5-7, 2021
WOBURN, MA– October 5, 2021 – IM Therapeutics, a leading precision medicine company developing novel, first-in-class therapies targeting human leukocyte antigens (HLAs) to treat a wide range of autoimmune diseases, announced today that David Alleva, Ph.D., VP, Immunology, will present at the 2nd B & T Cell-Mediated Autoimmune Disease Drug Development Summit which is being held virtually, October 5-7, 2021.
The presentation, entitled “Selective targeting of autoimmune disease-associated HLA haplotypes via small-molecules,” will take place during the “Case Studies of Targeted Therapies for Specific Diseases” session on Thursday, October 7, 2021, at 10:50 a.m. ET.
Dr. Alleva will discuss IM Therapeutics’ HLA-targeted drug discovery approach and its development platform for generating selective inhibitors of autoantigen peptide binding to block the earliest triggers of autoimmunity. He will highlight how the Company is establishing key functional features of small molecule drug candidates to guide the development of unique assays, animal models and response measures required to generate optimal clinic-ready candidates.
While many HLA class I and class II gene variants are known for their strong role in conferring high risk for autoimmune diseases, none has been effectively tapped for blocking autoimmune responses. IM Therapeutics’ IMT-HALT™ platform enables the development of oral small molecule drugs to block specific activity of HLA gene variants in autoantigen binding and corresponding T cell activation as the first triggers in the autoimmune cascade. The Company has announced lead programs targeting HLA-DQ8, present in 60% of type 1 diabetes patients, and HLA-DQ2, present in 90% of celiac disease patients, and is continuing to develop additional programs related to Class I and Class II HLAs that represent high unmet medical needs in autoimmune disease.
About IM Therapeutics
IM Therapeutics is a clinical-stage company pioneering personalized, oral medicines that target human leukocyte antigen (HLA) gene variants to treat the root cause of autoimmune diseases. The Company’s IMT-HALT platform enables the development of small molecule drugs using in silico docking of millions of compounds into pockets of an HLA variant where self-antigens may bind to trigger autoimmunity. Selected drug hits are then optimized using proprietary structure-based design and activity screening with cell-based assays for specificity of HLA inhibition. Lead drugs developed against an HLA isoform have the ability to block a series of self-antigens and therefore the potential to treat a range of autoimmune diseases related to a selected HLA. The Company is building a broad HLA-targeted pipeline in autoimmune disorders including type 1 diabetes, celiac disease, and lupus. Learn more at www.IMTherapeutics.com and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
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