Targazyme

Company

About

TargaZyme is a clinical-stage biotechnology company based in San Diego, CA and focused on the research and development of disruptive and novel, off-the-shelf T-Cell products that are aimed at improving the efficacy of T-cell therapies by delivering more T-cells to to tumor sites from the vasculature, increasing the percentage of T-cells in the tumor micro-environment that express FASL, Granzyme B & Perforin, increasing the synapse formation between the T-cells and tumors, enabling increased intra-tumor penetration, and improving the cytoxicity of T-cells for increased cancer tumor killing.

TargaZyme’s technologies/products were founded by a world-renowned physician scientists:

Rodger McEver MD: A renowned glycobiologist and hematologist, Dr. Rodger McEver also serves as Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation’s Chief Scientific Officer. Dr. McEver also co-founded a pair of biotechnology companies: Selexys Pharmaceuticals Corp., which was acquired by Novartis, and Tetherex Pharmaceuticals.

Lijun Xia, M.D., PhD: At Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF), Lijun Xia, M.D., Ph.D., has spent two decades studying O-glycans, a form of sugar that the body produces and that comprises nearly 80 percent of a thick mucous layer inside the colon and the gastrointestinal tract. Dr. Xia was a practicing hematologist/oncologist and currently chairs OMRF’s Cardio-vascular Department.

team

Lynnet Koh, MBA

CEO & Founder

Gheath AL-Atrash, MD, PhD

Lead Physician scientist of TZ102 T-Cell Therapy

Rodger McEver, MD

Founder and Inventor

Lijun Xia, MD, PhD

Founder and Inventor

Technology

Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocyte (TIL) Therapies

TILs are part of the body’s natural response to cancer:

The cells of the immune system perform immunosurveillance while circulating throughout the body
As part of the normal immune response, TIL migrate to the tumor site through recognition of chemokines produced by the tumor. TIL recognize tumors through tumor-specific antigens (TSAs) and can cause lysis to tumor cells
Solid tumors are extremely heterogeneous. Studies suggest that TIL from each individual are unique and polyclonal, which means that TIL may be able to recognize an array of known tumor antigens and unique patient-specific antigens

Products

TZ 102, like all of TargaZyme’s therapeutics, is an off-the-shelf product for point-of-care use. It’s made of two (2) components, fucosyltransferase VII enzyme and GDP Fucose.

While TZ 102 is an off-the-shelf product, available to be sold directly to cancer centers, worldwide, for TIL therapy use, TZ 102 can also be introduced into the centralized manufacturing of T-cells. Studies show that TZ 102 enhances T-cell functionality without impacting T-cell viability or functionality.

TZ 102 TIL treatment will be developed and conducted, initially, at ‘bedside’, with no incremental staff or equipment required. The process is rapid and simple, requiring only a lab technical to draw the enzyme and GDP fucose into a syringe, inject TZ 102 into the bag of expanded TILs, and incubate the TILs with TZ 102 for thirty (30) minutes, at room temperature, whereupon the TZ 102 TILs are infused into the patient through an IV.