CAMBRIDGE, Mass., June 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Artax Biopharma, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on transforming autoimmune disease treatment, today announces the formation of their Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). The SAB is comprised of experts in Immunology, Autoimmune Disease, and T Cell Signaling, and was formed to guide the company as it proceeds into future clinical trials with a first-in-class, oral small molecule autoimmune disease immunomodulator AX-158.

Artax Biopharma is poised to enter clinical trials with the small molecule AX- 158, a novel approach to treat multiple autoimmune diseases without causing the immunosuppression commonly associated with current autoimmune disease therapies.

Balbino Alarcn, PhD, Chairman of Artax's Scientific Advisory Board, commented, "I am privileged to lead Artax's Scientific Advisory Board, which mobilizes global leaders in Immunology, Autoimmune Disease, and T Cell Signaling. Collectively we are enthusiastic to collaborate on, and contribute to, important development initiatives related to Artax's innovative approach to autoimmune disease treatment."

"Artax Biopharma's Nck inhibitor AX-158 has shown impressive experimental biologic and mechanistic impact on T cell modulation - managing autoimmune disease without inducing the profound immunosuppression or interference with memory response associated with conventional or biological therapies," stated Dr. Lawrence Steinman, Stanford University Zimmerman Professor of Neurology and Neurosciences, Pediatrics, and Genetics and Scientific Advisory Board member.

"Convening a Scientific Advisory Board is a critical step as we accelerate our clinical development program," stated Artax Biopharma Chief Executive Officer Joseph Lobacki. "The clinical expertise and knowledge of these experts is unparalleled and will be instrumental in informing our development strategy across several autoimmune diseases."

The SAB will be comprised of five experts, and is being led by Professor Balbino Alarcn, PhD, co-founder of Artax Biopharma:

Balbino Alarcn, PhDDr. Alarcn is Program Director at the National Research Council of Spain (CSIC) and Head of the TCR-mediated Signal Transduction Laboratory.

Raif Geha, MDDr. Geha is the James L. Gamble Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and Chief of the Allergy/Immunology/Rheumatology and Dermatology Division at Children's Hospital in Boston.

Menno de Rie, MDProf. de Rie is a board-certified dermatologist and vice-chair of the department of Dermatology of the Amsterdam University Medical Centres/ University of Amsterdam.

Lawrence Steinman, MDDr. Steinman is the George A. Zimmermann professor of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Pediatrics, and Genetics at Stanford University.

Cox Terhorst, PhDDr. Terhorst is Chief of Immunology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Professor at Harvard Medical School.

About ImmunomodulationA healthy immune system eliminates harmful foreign pathogens, while being tolerant of self-tissues and organs. When the immune system malfunctions, cells (T Cells) attack self-tissues and organs, causing autoimmune disease. Current autoimmune disease therapies suppress the immune system, helping to minimize these self-attacks, but also raise susceptibility to harmful foreign pathogens. Immunomodulation, the process in which the immune system reduces self-attacks while properly reacting to fight foreign pathogens, holds great potential for autoimmune disease.

About Artax-158AX-158 is a first-in-class, oral small molecule, preclinical immunomodulating agent in development for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. AX-158 employs a novel mechanism of action that selectively modulates, or adjusts, T cell responses that play a critical role in immune system function. By selectively inhibiting Nck, a protein, AX-158 selectively modulates self-directed T Cell activation which is a cause of autoimmune disease. Importantly, data suggest AX-158 is not immunosuppressive and does not impact the immune system's ability to mount a strong response to foreign pathogens and infections. Further, AX-158's ability to modulate T cell responses allows the possibility to broadly target several autoimmune diseases, therefore potentially transforming autoimmune disease treatment.

About Artax BiopharmaArtax Biopharma is a biotechnology company transforming autoimmune disease treatment. Artax is a life science industry leader in autoimmune disease immunomodulation science, developing an innovative small molecule approach to treat autoimmune disease that modulates the immune system to both treat autoimmune disease and allow the body to fight foreign pathogens. The company is examining a first-in-class oral immunomodulating agent as a new way to treat multiple autoimmune diseases without causing the immune suppression commonly associated with currently available autoimmune disease therapies. For more information, please visit http://www.artaxbiopharma.com.

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