– New activator in the GEMS (Gene Expression Modulation System) Platform addresses limitations of existing therapy modalities –
– Persistent activation of genes may provide permanent cure for diseases such as haploinsufficient diseases –
– Tunable protein expression mitigates the risk of toxic overexpression –
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — October 31, 2022 — Epic Bio, a biotechnology company developing therapies to modulate gene expression using compact, non-cutting dCas proteins, presented multiple datasets demonstrating persistent gene activation at the 6th International Conference on Epigenetics and Bioengineering, on October 29, 2022, in Houston, Texas.
“This conference was a pivotal moment for the Epic Bio team. For the first time, we showed the scientific and academic community persistently activated genes of interest, which we believe will revolutionize the field of epigenetic therapeutics,” said Amber Salzman, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Epic Bio. “We are excited to present our data as it supports the potential of a permanent cure for diseases needing tunable upregulation of protein. Haploinsufficient diseases, as well as other diseases where gene activation is of therapeutic benefit, do not have therapeutic options that offer the magnitude of effect we believe we have. Therefore, we are looking forward to continuing to develop our GEMS platform to address these challenges.”
“Looking at the data, we’ve shown our newly designed activator was capable of delivering persistent gene activation to our target genes of interest; thus, allowing us to tune gene expression. This approach enables us to mitigate the risk of over-expressed protein, which can lead to cellular toxicity,” said Dan Hart, Ph.D., head of technology development at Epic Bio. “In addition, our compact activator and suppressor proteins, designed to be 0.3 kilobases or smaller, are active at multiple genomic loci. Not only have our modulators demonstrated significant and persistent activity across an array of genes, but we also presented data on the potential for synergy when our activators are combined. This augments our modulator activity and opens the door to target genes that would be otherwise difficult to manipulate. We continue to be passionate about developing a permanent cure for multiple diseases and look forward to providing updates at future conferences.”
About Epic Bio
Epic Bio is a leading epigenome engineering company, leveraging the power of CRISPR without cutting DNA. The company is using its proprietary Gene Expression Modulation System (GEMS) to develop therapies. Through the company’s library of the most compact Cas DNA-binding proteins to work on human cells, the company is developing in vivo therapies with delivery via a single AAV vector. Epic Bio has an initial focus on Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSHD) and is conducting additional research to address Antitrypsin Deficiency (A1AD), Heterozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia HeFH), as well as other indications. The company is financially backed by Horizons Ventures and other leading investors. Visit www.epic-bio.com for more information or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
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Gilmartin Group, LLC
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