Antion Biosciences

Based in Plan-les-Ouates, Switzerland, Antion Biosciences SA is a biopharmaceutical company established in 2016. It was founded by Roberto Speck, Karl Heinz Krause, and Michael S Pepper, a team of researchers with a background in molecular medicine and gene engineering. The company operates at the intersection of cell and gene therapy, developing treatments for diseases with significant unmet medical needs.

Antion's core business revolves around its proprietary technology platform for creating 'off-the-shelf' allogeneic cell therapies. Unlike autologous therapies that modify a patient's own cells, Antion engineers cells from healthy donors, which can be manufactured at scale and administered to multiple patients. This approach aims to reduce the high costs and lengthy production times associated with personalized treatments. The company's business model includes advancing its own R&D pipeline while also engaging in strategic partnerships. This involves out-licensing its technology, providing fee-for-service engineering, and entering into collaborations with other biopharma companies. A key partnership was established in January 2022 with Allogene Therapeutics, a US-based clinical-stage company, to utilize Antion's technology for developing next-generation cancer therapies. This collaboration includes exclusive rights for Allogene to commercialize products using Antion's technology in oncology and has resulted in Allogene investing in Antion.

The company's technological advantage lies in its multiplex engineering platform, which utilizes microRNA (miRNA) to simultaneously silence multiple genes in a single step. This 'one-shot' gene silencing is tunable, allowing for precise control over gene expression without complete gene deletion, which can enhance safety and efficacy. Key products in preclinical development include miCAR7 and miCAR19. miCAR7 is an allogeneic CAR T-cell product targeting CD7-positive malignancies, engineered to overcome challenges like T-cell exhaustion and rejection. In March 2024, Antion announced it had achieved in-vivo proof-of-concept for miCAR7, demonstrating effective tumor growth control. The miCAR19 product is a next-generation anti-CD19 CAR T-cell therapy aimed at treating B-cell-driven autoimmune diseases, a market affecting up to 10% of the global population. This product is engineered to be used without the need for harsh chemotherapeutic pre-conditioning, a significant safety benefit for autoimmune patients.

Keywords: cell and gene therapy, allogeneic therapies, off-the-shelf, biopharmaceutical, multiplex gene silencing, microRNA technology, CAR T-cell, miCAR platform, oncology, autoimmune diseases, gene engineering, immunotherapy, T-cell malignancies, drug development, preclinical, molecular medicine, biotechnology, partnerships, technology licensing, healthcare