Immunitas Therapeutics Unveils Promising Preclinical Data for First-in-Class Anti-CD161 Antibody IMT-380 in Autoimmune Diseases
Key Insights
Immunitas Therapeutics (search) presented preclinical data on IMT-380 (search), a first-in-class fully-human anti-CD161 antibody that selectively depletes pathogenic CD161+ T cells in autoimmune disease models.
The therapy demonstrated significant improvements in psoriasis (search) area and severity index scores in non-human primate models while reducing inflammatory cytokine production.
CD161+ T cells were found highly enriched in inflamed intestinal tissue from Crohn's disease (search) patients and showed elevated production of multiple inflammatory cytokines.
Immunitas Therapeutics (search) presented compelling preclinical data for IMT-380 (search), a first-in-class fully-human anti-CD161 monoclonal antibody, at the FASEB Science Research Conference on Autoimmunity held July 27-31 in Niagara Falls, New York. The clinical-stage precision immunotherapy company demonstrated that IMT-380 selectively depletes pathogenic CD161+ T cells while reducing inflammatory cytokine expression across multiple autoimmune disease models.
Novel Therapeutic Target Addresses Current Treatment Limitations
CD161-expressing T cell subsets have emerged as key players in autoimmune diseases (search) due to their production of inflammatory cytokines and presence in inflamed tissues. Current cytokine blockade therapies, while standard treatment for autoimmune conditions, face significant limitations including side effects from broad immunosuppression, inadequate efficacy in some patient populations, and treatment resistance as pathogenic T cells shift to production of other proinflammatory cytokines.
"Our deep expertise in CD161 biology has enabled us to expand the scope of our work beyond oncology and advance differentiated antibody therapeutics for the treatment of autoimmune diseases (search)," said Annalisa D'Andrea, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer at Immunitas. "Our first public presentation of this work at FASEB demonstrates that our first-in-class CD161-targeting antibody, IMT-380 (search), effectively and selectively depletes pro-inflammatory, CD161-expressing T cells, reinforcing anti-CD161 therapy as a promising strategy to restore immune balance."
Preclinical Data Demonstrates Selective Targeting and Efficacy
The presented data revealed that CD161+ T cells exhibit a highly proinflammatory profile, characterized by elevated production of IL-17A, IFN-γ (search), IL-22, TNF-α (search), and GM-CSF. These pathogenic cells were found to be highly enriched in inflamed intestinal tissue from Crohn's disease (search) patients, and in vitro CD161+ T cell depletion significantly reduced inflammatory cytokine production.
IMT-380 (search) demonstrated high specificity and potency in depleting CD161+ cells in both in vitro and in vivo studies. In a non-human primate psoriasis (search) model, systemic administration of IMT-380 led to selective CD161+ cell depletion, significantly improved psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) scores, and reduced expression of inflammatory mediators in skin biopsies.
Precision Approach to Autoimmune Disease Treatment
The therapeutic approach represents a departure from broad immunosuppression strategies currently used in autoimmune disease treatment. CD161 remains a stable marker on pathogenic T cells, making it a promising and precise therapeutic target for addressing autoimmune disease. D'Andrea noted that "this targeted approach offers a novel mechanism to address challenges posed by cytokine redundancy and T cell plasticity, potentially providing a safer and more durable alternative to broad immunosuppression for chronic autoimmune conditions."
Company Background and Pipeline
Immunitas Therapeutics (search), founded in 2019 by Longwood Fund (search) with leading scientists from Dana-Farber (search), MGH, the Broad, and MIT, has raised over $120 million from investors including Agent Capital, Alexandria Venture Investments, Evotec, Leaps by Bayer, Longwood Fund, M Ventures, Medical Excellence Capital, and Novartis Venture Fund. The company's specialized knowledge of the CD161 pathway has yielded multiple differentiated antibody therapeutics, including IMT-009, currently in clinical studies for solid tumors and hematologic malignancies.
IMT-380 (search) is designed as a fully human, Fc-active anti-CD161 monoclonal antibody to selectively deplete pathogenic CD161+ immune cell populations, thereby reducing tissue inflammation and restoring immune homeostasis in autoimmune settings. The collective findings reinforce CD161+ T cells as pathogenic drivers of inflammation and support anti-CD161 therapy as a novel targeted approach for treating autoimmune diseases (search).