COUR Pharma Publishes Peer-Reviewed Data in Science Advances

Paper defines the mechanism by which COUR Nanoparticles induce antigen-specific immune tolerance

CHICAGO, Jan. 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — COUR Pharma, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing first-in-class, antigen-specific immune tolerance therapies for autoimmune diseases, announced today the publication of new data in Science Advances.

The publication, titled, “STING/type I interferon pathway is required for antigen-containing PLGA nanoparticle and apoptotic cell-induced CD4⁺ T cell tolerance,” defines the molecular and cellular mechanisms by which COUR Nanoparticles (CNPs), also referred to as tolerizing immune modifying particles (TIMPs), induce antigen-specific immune tolerance.

The data demonstrate that uptake of CNPs by myeloid cells leads to apoptosis and release of oxidized DNA, triggering activation of the stimulator of interferon genes (STING)/type I interferon signaling pathway. This signaling cascade drives the activity of tolerogenic antigen-presenting cells and the expansion of antigen-specific regulatory T cell populations, including disease suppressing type 1 regulatory T (Tr1) cells and FoxP3⁺ regulatory T cells. Genetic disruption of STING or the interferon receptor abrogated tolerance induction, establishing these pathways as mechanistically required.

“Importantly, the study shows that immune tolerance induced by antigen-coupled apoptotic splenocytes and red blood cells depends on the STING/type I interferon pathway,” said Stephen D. Miller, Ph.D., Professor of Microbiology-Immunology at the Northwestern University, coinventor of the CNP platform, and senior author of the paper. “These findings establish that CNP-induced tolerance recapitulates the physiological mechanism by which the immune system establishes and maintains self-tolerance during the continual turnover of hematopoietic cells.”

Adam Elhofy, Ph.D., COUR Pharma VP of Research and contributing author of the paper, added, “Although many current treatments for autoimmune diseases rely on broad immune suppression, the immune system itself has evolved precise mechanisms to maintain tolerance to self. These new findings reinforce CNPs as a unique and potent technology for the antigen-specific treatment of autoimmune diseases while preserving normal immune function.”

By identifying a shared tolerance pathway that underlies both apoptotic cell-mediated tolerance and nanoparticle-induced antigen-specific tolerance, these findings provide a strong biological foundation for COUR’s platform and support its continued development across a range of immune-mediated diseases.

About COUR Pharma
COUR Pharma is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing first-in-class therapies to treat patients with autoimmune diseases. COUR’s therapies are based on our proprietary antigen-specific immune tolerance platform and are designed to reprogram the immune system to address the underlying root cause of immune-mediated diseases. Data from multiple clinical and preclinical programs have demonstrated the ability of COUR’s product candidates to induce antigen-specific immune tolerance and have the potential to treat a wide range of autoimmune diseases.

COUR is enrolling patients in two Phase 1b/2a clinical studies: one in type 1 diabetes and the other in myasthenia gravis. COUR also expects to initiate a Phase 2b clinical study in primary biliary cholangitis, a disease in which COUR has already shown positive results in a Phase 2a clinical study, in 2026. Additionally, COUR has partnered with Takeda Pharmaceuticals for its program in celiac disease and is developing an undisclosed preclinical stage program in collaboration with Genentech.

For more information, please visit www.courpharma.com.

Contacts

For Investor Relations
Brian Bock, Chief Financial Officer
bbock@courpharma.com

For Media
Jason Braco
jbraco@lifescicomms.com