Japan-based REGiMMUNE (RGI) and research and advocacy organisation JDRF have collaborated with US-based drugmaker Pfizer to develop an antigen-specific immunotherapy to treat type 1 diabetes (T1D).

Under the deal, Pfizer will provide financial assistance and scientific expertise for a research collaboration to develop an antigen-specific immunotherapy using RGI’s aGalCer/liposome platform for immunological tolerance to treat T1D.

JDRF chief scientific officer Dr Richard Insel said: "JDRF’s mission is to create a world without type 1 diabetes and to ultimately find a cure. We collaborate and work with many organisations in our efforts to enable this goal.

"JDRF’s mission is to create a world without type 1 diabetes and to ultimately find a cure."

"We are pleased to enter a new partnership with REGiMMUNE to develop an antigen-specific immunotherapy that might result in a new treatment for T1D based on their unique liposome platform."

As part of the collaboration, RGI will develop an antigen-specific therapeutic liposome that can prevent and delay the onset of T1D and induce immunologic tolerance.

The joint research collaboration is working on a therapy designed to potentially restore the normal balance within the immune system and prevent T1D or delay the need for insulin therapy.

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The candidate therapy is being derived from the RGI aGalCer/liposome platform containing an encapsulated T1D target antigen (RGI-3100).

RGI noted that the approach is unique as it combines an antigen specific therapy with an immune modulatory component that may lead to the induction of tolerance to multiple T1D-related antigenic specificities.

When used with T1D autoantigens, RGI’s aGalCer/liposome platform may be effective in inducing T1D-specific Tregs and specific immune tolerance for T1D patients without promoting broad immunosuppression associated side-effects as typically seen with other therapeutics.

A preclinical mouse study will evaluate the therapy for efficacy in delaying the onset of T1D, with the support of three partners.