Erytech Pharma, a French clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapies for rare forms of cancer and orphan diseases, has entered into a research collaboration with Fox Chase Cancer Centre (FCCC) to advance the pre-clinical development of the company’s erymethionase program for homocystinuria.

The aim of the collaboration is to demonstrate the potential of erymethionase to lower homocysteine and methionine in CBS-deficient mice.

Erymethionase is a methionine gamma-lyase enzyme encapsulated in red blood cells using Erytech’s proprietary ERYCAPS technology platform to provide effective, long-acting therapeutic activity with reduced toxicity. Not only is Erytech using erymethionase for the homocystinuria program, they are also developing it as a product candidate for targeting cancer metabolism.

Professor Warren Kruger, Fox Chase Cancer Center, “ERYTECH’s approach with erymethionase has significant potential in this disease setting because it can reduce the levels of both homocysteine and methionine in blood plasma which is critical in restoring the metabolic balance in individuals with classical homocystinuria. We look forward to working with ERYTECH to advance this preclinical program to determine its potential as a therapeutic option for homocystinuria patients.”

Dr. Alexander Scheer, Chief Scientific Officer of ERYTECH, “Classical homocystinuria remains a very challenging genetic disorder that the unique mechanism of action of erymethionase has the potential to directly and meaningfully impact. We are very pleased to enter this collaboration with FCCC and look forward to working closely with Dr. Kruger on this program as we accelerate the development of our technology platform to include highly specialized and rare conditions beyond oncology. This collaboration emphasizes ERYTECH’s overarching strategy to develop novel, safer therapies to address high unmet medical needs.”

To read the full press release from Erytech, click here.