Thomas Mehrling, an expert in developing novel oncology compounds from bench to bedside, is the new CEO of Release Therapeutics. The appointment follows the recent strategic pivot of Release Tx (formerly, ‘MaxiVax’) towards treating genetic disorders of the central nervous system (CNS) with a best-in-class cell macroencapsulation technology as an alternative to gene therapy.
Release Tx is developing a proprietary technology capable of delivering highly potent therapeutic proteins beyond the blood-brain barrier (BBB) for the long-term treatment of CNS disorders. Consisting of an macroencapsulation device, that can easily implanted and retrieved without invasive surgical procedures and a human myoblast cell line that can be genetically modified to produce diverse proteins, this technology is the first of its kind to be designed for cell macroencapsulation in humans.
Offering significant advantages over gene therapy for the treatment of CNS diseases, including genetic disorders of the CNS, the evolution of the cutting-edge technology has been instrumental in Release Therapeutics’ decision to shift the strategic focus to the CNS. The lead programme of Release Tx focuses on treating Metachromatic Leukodystrophy (MLD), a rare genetic CNS disorder typically affecting young children.
Following the pivot, Release Therapeutics has appointed Thomas Mehrling as CEO. With over 25 years’ experience in multinational pharma companies, including Takeda, Mundipharma International and Hoffmann-La Roche, Dr. Mehrling is an expert in developing novel oncology compounds from bench to bedside. During his tenure at MundiPharma International (2003–2013), he oversaw the clinical development, registration and launch of two major products in Europe.
Release Tx’s Chairman, Ksenija Pavletic, said, “We’re thrilled to have Dr. Mehrling on board to lead Release Therapeutics on its new mission. The remarkable progress we’ve made with our technology now offers significant advantages over gene therapy for the treatment of CNS diseases, bringing hope to patients and their families around the world.”
Release Therapeutics’ technology promises a safer alternative to gene therapy for CNS disorders, first and foremost because gene therapy often involves introducing permanent changes to the patient’s DNA, making it challenging to reverse or adjust the therapy in the case of an adverse event. By contrast, Release Therapeutics’ macroencapsulation technology can be easily replaced or retrieved, which is particularly important in CNS disorders where precise control over therapeutic interventions is critical. A related advantage is that the technology eliminates the risk of insertional mutagenesis and related malignancies, which can be a cause for concern when it comes to altering a patient’s genes.
Potential systemic exposure to genetic alterations and their off-target effects are avoided with cell encapsulation, which can provide localised treatment directly to the affected area of the brain. In addition, whereas the use of viral vectors with in vivo gene therapy can provoke an immune response in the CNS, Release’s technology is optimised to limit immune reactions. According to its blog post, the company has also good reason to believe, that its technology will offer efficacy and scalability advantages compared to gene therapy and other encapsulated cell-based technologies to serve patients with CNS disorders.
(Press release / SK)
Picture: Release Therapeutics macroencapsulation device
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