EdiGene Enters Strategic R&D Collaboration with Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem to Develop Hematopoietic Stem Cell Regenerative Therapies and Platform Technologies

BEIJING & CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- EdiGene, a global biotechnology company focused on translating gene-editing technologies into transformative therapies for patients with serious genetic diseases and cancer, announced a research and development collaboration with Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem to develop hematopoietic stem cell regenerative therapies and platform technology by combining resources and expertise from both sides.

The Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, run by the Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, is focused on conducting fundamental research, innovation, and translation in the cell ecosystem.

Under the agreement, both parties will jointly develop hematopoietic stem cell regenerative therapies, including the development of innovative genetically-modified hematopoietic stem cell therapies and the exploration of novel biomarkers to optimize quality control for stem cell production.

“With top-notch resources and industry-university-research cooperation, we’ll facilitate the development of cell-based medicine and therapies,” said Professor Tao Cheng, Deputy Director of Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem and President of the Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, a leading hematology researcher who has made a series of discoveries relating to the regulatory and regenerative mechanisms of hematopoietic stem cells. “Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) have the potential for long-term self-renewal and can differentiate into various types of mature blood cells. These stem cells can be harnessed to provide treatment for a broad range of diseases such as hematological tumors, autoimmune diseases, and hereditary blood disorders. We believe that this collaboration with EdiGene will accelerate the innovation and translation in the field of HSCs, thus enabling healthier patients with new therapies.”

Professor Cheng was awarded the second prize of the National Natural Science Award 2020 as the first author of work on basic and translational research that advanced the development of adult hematopoietic stem cells for therapeutic applications.

EdiGene is scaling up clinical translation and development of the first gene-editing hematopoietic stem cell therapy in China following the 2021 approval by the China National Medical Products Administration its IND for its investigational therapy ET-01. “Our team has extensive experience in the development and translation of cutting-edge technologies including hematopoietic stem cell and gene editing,” said Dong Wei, Ph.D., CEO of EdiGene. “This collaboration with Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem will further our exploration in the field of hematopoietic stem cells. The partnership with this leading academic institute and our translational know-how enable us to move forward in bringing more innovative treatment options to patients in China and around the world.”

In 2021, EdiGene initiated a Phase I multicenter clinical trial of ET-01, its gene-editing hematopoietic stem cell therapy for transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia. EdiGene has enrolled the first patient at the Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College. Currently, the clinical trial is being conducted in Tianjin and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Greater Bay Area). EdiGene also presented its latest research on new surface markers and migration of hematopoietic stem cells at the 63rd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) in 2021.

About Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem

The Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem (“the Laboratory”), run by the Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, is one of the five registered Haihe Laboratories approved by Tianjin Municipal People’s Government. With the goal of promoting population health with cell ecosystem, the Laboratory adheres to developing technological frontier, enhancing people’s health, and promoting research, innovation, and development of cell ecosystem in five key areas: cellular ecosystem, cellular ecology and immunity, cellular ecological imbalance and major diseases, cellular ecological reconstruction and frontier technology of cellular ecological research.

About Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital (IH), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College (CAMS/PUMC)

Founded in 1957, IH is a tertiary specialty hospital under the National Health Commission of China and is the supporting unit of the National Clinical Research Center of Hematologic Diseases and the State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology. It is also the main founding unit of Tianjin Base, the core base of the Chinese medical science and technology innovation system with the goal of becoming “the innovation hub of hematology in China.” IH mainly engages in basic research, applied research, clinical diagnosis and treatment of hematological diseases, standard-setting, new technology research, new drug evaluation, and translation in hematology and related fields. IH is leading in the diagnosis and treatment of hematological diseases in China and a global scale and has made original achievements. Since 2010, IH has been awarded first place in the Hospital Specialty Reputation Ranking (Hematology) for 12 consecutive years. It has won first place in the Hematology Specialty Ranking for ten consecutive years since 2010 and ranked the first in hematology by the Scientific and Technological Evaluation Metrics (STEM) for Chinese hospitals for eight consecutive years since 2014.

About EdiGene, Inc

EdiGene is a global, clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on translating gene editing technologies into transformative therapies for patients with serious genetic diseases and cancer. The company has established its proprietary ex vivo genome-editing platforms for hematopoietic stem cells and T cells, in vivo therapeutic platform based on RNA base editing, and high-throughput genome-editing screening to discover novel targeted therapies. Founded in 2015, EdiGene is headquartered in Beijing, with offices in Guangzhou and Shanghai, China and Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. More information can be found at www.EdiGene.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220124005428/en/