PORTEFEUILLE

NextImmune AG is developing a revolutionary therapeutic concept for autoimmune diseases and organ transplantation-associated morbidities. There are over 100 different autoimmune disorders known and together with alloimmune pathologies such as transplant rejection and Graft versus Host Disease (GvHD), these conditions affect over 5% of the entire global population. Patients undergoing organ transplantation or suffering from autoimmune diseases are predominantly treated with “non-selective” immunosuppressants that inhibit the entire immune machinery causing severe side effects including recurrent opportunistic infections and cancers. At NextImmune, we are developing a novel approach that exploits the biology of coronin 1 to elicit “selective” immunosuppression using compounds termed “Coronin 1 modulators” that have the potential to attenuate auto- and allo-immune responses while preserving the immune responses against the pathogenic infections, thus potentially addressing a huge unmet need in the field of immunosuppression.

Our preliminary studies have identified coronin 1 modulators to be developed into immunosuppressive therapies in the context of autoimmune and alloimmune disease models. To further advance these compounds, we initiated a start-up, NextImmune AG, as a spin-off from Biozentrum, University of Basel in 2021 for further implementation of their clinical development. Using this InnoBooster funding, we will further advance the coronin 1 modulators through an optimization program such that it aids in enhancing the therapeutic potency of the initial hits.