ERYTECH Pharma a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapies by encapsulating therapeutic drug substances inside red blood cells, announced that two abstracts on its preclinical erymethionase and eryminase programs were accepted for poster presentation at the 13th International Congress of Inborn Errors of Metabolism (ICIEM), being held September 5 – 8, 2017 in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.
The pre-clinical data will be presented during the poster session of the ICIEM by the lead author of the abstracts, Dr. Emmanuelle Dufour, R&D Project Manager at ERYTECH. The data from the pre-clinical studies demonstrate that encapsulating certain enzymes into red blood cells has the ability to lower toxic metabolites
Eryminase, which is arginine deiminase encapsulated in red blood cells, was shown to reduce arginine levels in a disease model of arginase-1 deficiency, supporting a potential treatment approach for hyperargininemia. The study was conducted through a previously announced research collaboration with Queen’s University in Canada.
Erymethionase, methionine-γ-lyase encapsulated in red blood cells, was shown to lower homocysteine levels, supporting a potential treatment approach for homocystinuria. The study was conducted through a previously announced research collaboration with the Fox Chase Cancer Center (FCCC).
Both hyperargininemia and homocystinuria are rare, debilitating genetic diseases, for which there are limited treatment options.
ERYTECH will also be participating in and sponsoring the 2nd International Homocystinurias Patient-Expert Meeting on Monday, September 4, 2017, a pre-meeting to the ICIEM.
