In a significant stride towards revolutionizing the field of cell therapy, BlueRock Therapeutics LP, a subsidiary of Bayer AG specializing in clinical stage cell therapy, is collaborating with bit.bio, an innovator in cellular coding for cutting-edge treatments. The partnership will concentrate on developing and producing induced pluripotent stem cell-derived regulatory T cells (Tregs), instrumental in constructing therapeutics.

"Regulatory T cells have an instrumental part to play in maintaining the body's immune equilibrium and in curbing overactive immune responses," expounded Stefan Irion, MD, the Chief Scientific Officer of BlueRock Therapeutics. He further noted the prospective range of applications: "iPSC-derived Treg-based therapies have the potential to treat a broad range of autoimmune and inflammatory disorders. Our partnership with bit.bio provides an excellent platform to discover how their proprietary opti-ox cell programming technology can fast-track our efforts to explore and manufacture Tregs from iPSCs."

Mark Kotter, MD PhD, CEO of bit.bio, echoed the excitement: "We are thrilled to be partnering with BlueRock's experts in iPSC-derived cell therapies. Together, we hope to make headway in addressing the unmet needs of many patients." He went on to emphasize the significant impact of this agreement on bit.bio: "This collaboration is a significant milestone, providing financial benefits and further attesting to the unique skill set of our team at bit.bio."

As per the partnership's terms, bit.bio will leverage its AI-driven discovery platform to pinpoint transcription factor (TF) combinations for reprogramming iPSCs into Tregs. Further, the agreement offers BlueRock the option to license bit.bio's precision cell programming technology, opti-ox, which facilitates the control of TF combinations within Treg cell therapies. It is worth noting that opti-ox employs a dual genomic safe harbor approach to cell programming, with bit.bio using it to rapidly convert iPSCs into highly specified cell types in a single step. This remarkable feat is achievable within days on an industrial scale, all while ensuring unrivaled purity and consistency.

BlueRock Therapeutics will assume global responsibility for developing and commercializing therapeutic products resulting from this collaboration. On the other hand, bit.bio will receive an initial payment and stand to gain from milestone payments and royalties on global sales of all treatments that emerge from this partnership.