Company underscores potential benefits of low-dose interleukin-2 in Investigator-Initiated Phase 2 Alzheimer’s disease trial as presented at the recent CTAD Conference
HOUSTON, November 01, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Coya Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: COYA) ("Coya" or the "Company"), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing biologics intended to enhance regulatory T cell (Treg) function, announces that, as previously disclosed, Arun Swaminathan, Ph.D., has been promoted to Chief Executive Officer, effective today, November 1, 2024. Dr. Swaminathan was instrumental in executing several significant commercial transactions in his career, including Coya’s licensing transaction with Dr. Reddy’s Laboratory in December 2023 that could be worth up to $700 million if all milestones are met. He brings a wealth of strategic, business development, operational, and deal-making experience to help guide Coya in its next phase of corporate growth.
Dr. Swaminathan commented, "I would like to again thank our board of directors and Executive Chairman Howard Berman for the opportunity to lead Coya. Our pipeline targets severe neurodegenerative diseases facing millions of people across the globe, such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer’s disease, Frontotemporal Dementia, and Parkinson’s disease. We believe our combination therapeutic approach targeting neuroinflammation can unlock a new paradigm in neurodegenerative treatment.
"We are encouraged by data from the Phase 2 investigator-initiated trial in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease treated with low-dose interleukin-2 (LD IL-2), shared at CTAD, validating of our Treg platform. The study demonstrated stabilization of cognition with statistically significant CSF biomarker improvement in the lower dose IL-2 arm, confirming the known biology of the relationship between IL-2 dose and Treg enhancement. Previous studies have shown that lower IL-2 doses selectively enhance and increase Treg function, while higher IL-2 doses reduce Treg function via several relevant mechanisms. This dynamic was observed in this study and helped us identify the lower dose of LD IL-2 as the right dose that enhances durable Tregs in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. The data now opens the potential for a multitude of strategic opportunities involving biologic combinations that we intend to vigorously pursue," concluded Dr. Swaminathan.
About Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia, a general term for memory loss and other cognitive abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer's disease accounts for up to 80% of dementia cases, affecting an estimated 5.7 million Americans. In more than 90% of people with Alzheimer’s, symptoms do not appear until after age 60. The incidence of the disease increases with age and doubles every 5 years beyond age 65. Alzheimer's is a progressive disease, where dementia symptoms gradually worsen over a number of years. In its early stages, memory loss is mild, but with late-stage Alzheimer's, individuals lose the ability to carry on a conversation and respond to their environment. It is the sixth leading cause of death among all adults and the fifth leading cause for those aged 65 or older. On average, a person with Alzheimer's lives 4 to 8 years after diagnosis but can live as long as 20 years, depending on other factors. 1,2
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov)
About COYA 301
COYA 301 is the company’s proprietary investigational low-dose interleukin-2 (IL-2) intended to enhance the anti-inflammatory function of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and is designed for subcutaneous administration. COYA 301 is an investigational product not yet approved by the FDA or any other regulatory agency.
About COYA 302
COYA 302 is an investigational and proprietary biologic combination therapy with a dual immunomodulatory mechanism of action intended to enhance the anti-inflammatory function of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and suppress the inflammation produced by activated monocytes and macrophages. COYA 302 is comprised of proprietary low dose interleukin-2 (LD IL-2) and cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 immunoglobulin fusion protein (CTLA4-Ig) and is being developed for subcutaneous administration for the treatment of patients with ALS, FTD, and Parkinson’s Diseases (PD). These mechanisms may have additive or synergistic effects.
In February of 2023, Coya announced results from a proof-of-concept, open-label clinical study evaluating commercially available LD IL-2 and CTLA4-Ig in a small cohort of patients with ALS conducted at the Houston Methodist Research Institute (Houston, Texas) by Stanley Appel, M.D., Jason Thonhoff, M.D., Ph.D., and David Beers, Ph.D. This study was the first-of-its-kind to evaluate this dual-mechanism immunotherapy for the treatment of ALS. Patients in the study received investigational treatment for 48 consecutive weeks and were evaluated for safety and tolerability, Treg function, serum biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation, and clinical functioning as measured by the Revised Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS-R) scale.
During the 48-week treatment period, the therapy was well tolerated. The most common adverse event was mild injection-site reactions. No patient discontinued the study, and no deaths or other serious adverse events were reported.
Patients' disease progression was measured using the ALSFRS-R scale, a validated rating tool for monitoring the progression of disability in patients with ALS. The mean (±SD) ALSFRS-R scores at week 24 (33.75 ±3.3) and week 48 (32 ±7.8) after initiation of treatment were not statistically different compared to the ALSFRS-R score at baseline (33.5 ±5.9), suggesting significant amelioration in the progression of the disease over the 48-week treatment period.
Treg suppressive function, expressed as a percentage of inhibition of proinflammatory T cell proliferation, showed a statistically significant increase over the course of the treatment period and was significantly reduced at the end of the 8-week washout post-treatment period. Treg suppressive function at 24 weeks (79.9 ±9.6) and 48 weeks (89.5 ±4.1) were significantly higher compared to baseline (62.1 ±8.1) (p<0.01), suggesting enhanced and durable Treg suppressive function over the course of treatment. In contrast, Treg suppressive function (mean ±SD) was significantly decreased at the end of the 8-week washout period compared to end-of-treatment at week 48 (70.3 ±8.1 vs. 89.5 ±4.1, p <0.05).
The study also evaluated serum biomarkers of inflammation, oxidative stress, and lipid peroxides. The available data up to 16 weeks after initiation of treatment suggest a decrease in these biomarker levels, which is consistent with the observed enhancement of Treg function. The evaluation of the full biomarker data is ongoing.
COYA 302 is an investigational product not yet approved by the FDA or any other regulatory agency.
About Coya Therapeutics, Inc.
Headquartered in Houston, TX, Coya Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: COYA) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing proprietary treatments focused on the biology and potential therapeutic advantages of regulatory T cells ("Tregs") to target systemic inflammation and neuroinflammation. Dysfunctional Tregs underlie numerous conditions, including neurodegenerative, metabolic, and autoimmune diseases, and this cellular dysfunction may lead to sustained inflammation and oxidative stress resulting in a lack of homeostasis of the immune system.
Coya’s investigational product candidate pipeline leverages multiple therapeutic modalities aimed at restoring the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory functions of Tregs. Coya’s therapeutic platforms include Treg-enhancing biologics, Treg-derived exosomes, and autologous Treg cell therapy.
COYA 302 – the Company’s lead biologic investigational product or "Pipeline in a Product"– is a proprietary combination of COYA 301 (Coya’s proprietary LD IL-2) and CTLA4-Ig for subcutaneous administration with a unique dual mechanism of action that is now being developed for the treatment of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Frontotemporal Dementia, Parkinson’s Disease, and Alzheimer’s Disease. Its multi-targeted approach enhances the number and anti-inflammatory function of Tregs and simultaneously lowers the expression of activated microglia and the secretion of pro-inflammatory mediators. This synergistic mechanism may lead to the re-establishment of immune balance and amelioration of inflammation in a sustained and durable manner that may not be achieved by either low-dose IL-2 or CTLA4-Ig alone.
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