EDINBURGH, Scotland, Oct. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- TC BioPharm (Holdings) PLC ("TC BioPharm" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: TCBP), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing platform allogeneic gamma-delta T cell therapies for cancer and other indications, today announced it has entered into a research planning collaboration with Dr. Carlos Maluquer de Motes for the development of a treatment for Monkeypox.

Dr. Carlos Maluquer de Motes is Reader and Principal Investigator at the University of Surrey, United Kingdom and works closely with The Pirbright Institute, a leading center of excellence in research of viral diseases that spread from animals to humans. After receiving his PhD in Virology from the University of Barcelona, he joined the laboratory of Claude Krummenacher and Gary Cohen at the University of Pennsylvania to study herpesvirus immune evasion. In 2009, he joined the laboratory of Geoffrey Smith at Imperial College London and subsequently the University of Cambridge to study vaccinia virus modulation of innate immunity and cell death.

"We've seen the ramifications of a global pandemic and the havoc it can inflict," said Bryan Kobel, CEO of TC BioPharm. "There is significant data stating that a successful immune response to viral infection is heavily reliant on the presence of gamma delta t-cells, both in the preventative sense and in the successful outcomes of patients with viral infection. We believe that our lead therapeuticTCB008 could play an important role in treating this virus as well as other infectious diseases, providing a bolstered level of gamma delta t-cells to generate a more effective immune response in patients who are facing severe viral infection TCB also intends to explore the use of TCB008 in a prophylactic setting for infectious diseases with the intent to provide TCB008 in a supportive or adjunct use for patients at high risk of infection to various diseases when immune-compromised or suppressed in hospital settings or by age where the immune system and gamma delta t-cell population has weakened. After meeting with a number of experts, our team and I were impressed with Carlos' approach to this potential research plan and his prior stellar work in infectious disease research. We look forward to working with Dr. Maluquer de Motes and playing an important role in addressing this underserved need."

Mpox is an infectious viral disease that can occur in humans and other animals. Symptoms include a rash that forms blisters, fever, and swollen lymph nodes. Since the beginning of Mpox monitoring in 2022, there have been more than 100,000 confirmed cases including over 200 deaths. Cases have been reported by more than 120 countries globally according to the World Health Organization (WHO).