Umoja Biopharma and Lupagen Announce New Collaboration to Improve Patient Experience and Access to Next-Generation In Vivo Therapeutics for Cancer

The partnership will evaluate Lupagen’s extracorporeal in vivo delivery technology as a potential additional route of administration for Umoja’s VivoVec therapeutics

SEATTLE and DALLAS, May 23, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Umoja Biopharma, Inc., an immuno-oncology company pioneering off-the-shelf, integrated therapeutics that reprogram immune cells in vivo for patients with solid and hematologic malignancies, and Lupagen, Inc., a gene therapy company developing first-in-class gene delivery technologies for CAR-T, gene editing and immunotherapy products, today announced they have entered into a collaboration to evaluate extracorporeal in vivo delivery as a potential additional route of administration for Umoja’s VivoVec particles using Lupagen’s Side CAR-T™ technology. Lupagen’s patient connected extracorporeal Side CAR-T™ delivery system is expected to enable efficient and highly controlled viral vector targeting of T cells in a convenient bedside procedure without requirements for lymphodepleting chemotherapy.

“Today’s cellular therapies are often hampered by lengthy delays to patient treatment with a weeks-to-months wait for cell manufacturing and release. Pairing Lupagen’s technology with Umoja’s in vivo therapeutics offers a compelling solution to one of the greatest challenges to receiving cellular therapies today,” said David Fontana, Ph.D., Chief Business and Strategy Officer at Umoja. “Putting patients first is not just about building better therapies, it’s about reimagining the patient experience by giving more control to the patients and providers to enable timely and controlled delivery.”

David Peritt, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, and co-founder of Lupagen, added, “Lupagen’s core focus is to make gene therapies broadly accessible using our extracorporeal in vivo gene delivery system. This partnership seeks to transform patient care by pairing Lupagen’s novel extracorporeal gene delivery technology with Umoja’s next-generation in vivo therapeutics to revolutionize cancer treatment. The familiarity of healthcare providers with extracorporeal bedside procedures will enable greater uptake and access to life-changing therapies across a wider range of patients. We look forward to working with Umoja to enhance the potential of their VivoVec particles with the highly controlled targeted delivery Lupagen’s technology can offer.”

Under the terms of the agreement, both parties will collaborate to evaluate VivoVec delivery using the Side CAR-T™ system. Lupagen will not develop or commercialize the Side CAR-T™ device for the delivery of viral vectors in the field of oncology during the term of the agreement. Umoja retains the right to opt in to an exclusive, worldwide agreement to develop the Side CAR-T™ device in the field of oncology.

About Umoja Biopharma
Umoja Biopharma, Inc., is developing treatments for solid tumors and hematologic cancers that reprogram the patient’s immune system in vivo. Our technology platforms are designed to work synergistically as part of a therapeutic regimen that can be delivered to any patient, with any tumor, at any time. Based on pioneering work performed at Seattle Children’s Research Institute and Purdue University, Umoja’s approach is powered by novel cellular immunotherapy technologies including the VivoVec in vivo delivery platform, the RACR/CAR in vivo cell expansion/control platform, and the TumorTag targeting platform. Umoja believes its approach can broaden access to advanced immunotherapies to give more patients the hope of lasting remission. To learn more, visit http://www.umoja-biopharma.com. 

About Lupagen 
Lupagen, Inc. is a privately held gene therapy company developing first-in-class gene delivery technologies for next generation CAR-T, gene editing and immunotherapy products based on its extracorporeal gene delivery platform. Lupagen’s platform harnesses standard apheresis-based systems customized for a diverse range of ex-vivo autologous cell and gene therapies that require targeted genetic or cellular modifications of targeted populations of a patient’s circulating peripheral blood mononuclear cells. To learn more, visit http://www.lupagen.com. 

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements 
This press release contains forward-looking statements about Umoja Biopharma, Inc. (the “Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our”). The Company has based these forward-looking statements largely on its current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about future events and financial trends that it believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. In light of the significant uncertainties in these forward-looking statements, you should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to vary materially, including, among others, the risks inherent in drug development such as those associated with the initiation, cost, timing, progress and results of the Company’s current and future research and development programs, preclinical and clinical trials, as well as the economic, market and social disruptions due to the ongoing COVID-19 public health crisis. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason. 

Media Contact:
Darren Opland, Ph.D.
LifeSci Communications
darren@lifescicomms.com