Techbio company Genomics has partnered with biotech company Greywolf Therapeutics to advance novel antigen modulation treatments to treat autoimmune diseases. 

Under the agreement, Genomics is set to curate and analyse large-scale genetic datasets to assess how variants of the ERAP (Endoplasmic Reticulum Aminopeptidases) enzymes influence disease risk across multiple autoimmune conditions. 

ERAP1 and ERAP2 are key cellular proteins, involved in the processing and presentation of antigens, which have emerged as therapeutic targets associated with multiple autoimmune diseases. The role of ERAP is to trim peptides, which are presented as antigens on the cell surface and recognised by T cells, a type of immune white blood cell.  

Genetic variations in ERAPs can alter this process and can result in autoimmunity, activating T cells and triggering an immune response on healthy tissue. These variants have been shown to increase susceptibility to a range of autoimmune diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease, ankylosing spondylitis, and psoriasis. 

Using their proprietary tools, Genomics will curate and analyse multiple independent genetic association studies. The studies will identify genetic support linking specific ERAP variants with multiple autoimmune diseases and validate them as potential therapeutic targets. The insights will then be used by Greywolf Therapeutics to guide the selection of indication opportunities. 

“We are delighted to be working with Greywolf Therapeutics to support the development of their disease pipeline using our unique datasets and scientific expertise, with the potential to address autoimmune diseases with high unmet need,” said Professor Sir Peter Donnelly, CEO and Co-Founder of Genomics. 

“We believe our novel targets hold great promise for treating a number of autoimmune conditions, and our Phase I study in axial spondyloarthritis is just the start of delivering on that potential,” added Peter Joyce, Co-founder & CEO of Greywolf Therapeutics.  

“Understanding the genetic drivers of these diseases is crucial to assessing which patient populations to initially focus on, and we look forward to using the insights from our partnership with Genomics to further strengthen and de-risk our pipeline.” 

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