Press Releases

November 05, 2024 09:05 AM Eastern Standard Time

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Be Biopharma, Inc. (“Be Bio”), a company pioneering the development of engineered B Cell Medicines (BCMs), today announced that an abstract relating to its BCM platform has been accepted for oral presentation at the 66th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition to be held in San Diego, California from December 7 to 10, 2024. In addition, a Trials in Progress abstract related to the BeCoMe-9 Phase 1/2 clinical trial for BE-101 in hemophilia B has been accepted for online publication. Both abstracts were published today and are now available on the ASH website at www.hematology.org.

Details regarding the Be Biopharma oral presentation are as follows:

Abstract Title: A Versatile B Cell Engineering Platform Enables Development of B Cell Medicines for Sustained Delivery of Therapeutic Biologics (Abstract #88)
Session Name: 703. Cellular Immunotherapies other than CAR-T Cells: Basic and Translational: Novel Cell Platforms and Delivery Strategies
Date: Saturday, December 7, 2024
Presentation Time: 10:15 a.m. PT
Session Room: San Diego Convention Center, Ballroom 20AB

Details regarding the Be Biopharma online abstract are as follows:

Abstract Title: BeCoMe–9: A Phase 1/2 Dose Escalation and Expansion Study of BE-101 for the Treatment of Adults with Moderately Severe or Severe Hemophilia B (Abstract #5479)

About Engineered B Cell Medicines – A New Class of Cellular Medicines

The B cell is a powerful cell that produces thousands of proteins per cell per second at constant levels, over decades. Precision genome editing can now be used to engineer B Cells that produce therapeutic proteins of interest, driving a new class of cellular medicines – Engineered B Cell Medicines (BCMs) – with the potential to be durable, allogeneic, redosable, titratable and administered without pre-conditioning. The promise of BCMs could transform therapeutic biologics with broad application — across protein classes, patient populations and therapeutic areas.

About BE-101

BE-101 is a first-in-class BCM that is engineered to insert the human Factor IX (FIX) gene into primary human B cells, allowing for continuous expression of active FIX for the treatment of hemophilia B. BE-101 has the potential to express sustained therapeutic FIX activity levels with a single infusion while having the flexibility to be titrated and/or re-dosed, and without the need for preconditioning. The potential to maintain therapeutic FIX activity levels while the reducing dosing frequency associated with current FIX replacement regimens could address the considerable infusion burden associated with current therapies and potentially drive reductions in the annualized bleeding rates and FIX usage. The US FDA cleared the BE-101 IND in May of 2024, and granted Fast Track designation in September of 2024. The Phase 1/2 BeCoMe-9 Trial is open for enrollment and further details of the trial can be found at www.clinicaltrials.gov under NCT identifier: NCT06611436.

About Be Biopharma

Be Biopharma (“Be Bio”) is pioneering Engineered B Cell Medicines (BCMs) to dramatically improve the lives of patients who are living with Hemophilia B and other genetic diseases, cancer, and other serious conditions. With eyes locked on the patient, our team of purpose-driven scientists, technologists, manufacturing experts and business builders collaborate to create a bold new class of cell therapies. Be Bio was founded in October 2020, and is backed by ARCH Venture Partners, Atlas Venture, RA Capital Management, Alta Partners, Longwood Fund, Bristol Myers Squibb, Takeda Ventures, Seattle Children’s Research Institute and others to re-imagine medicine based on the power of Engineered B cells. For more information, please visit us at Be.Bio and our LinkedIn page.

Contacts

Investor Contact:
ir@be.bio

Media Contact:
media@be.bio

• Phase 1/2 BeCoMe-9 Trial Study Open for Enrollment and FDA Grants Fast Track Designation for BE-101, a Durable, Titratable, Redosable B Cell Medicine for Hemophilia B
• Second B Cell Medicine Development Candidate Nominated with BE-102 for Hypophosphatasia, A Large Genetic Disease with 50,000 Patients and High Unmet Medical Need
• $82 Million Financing from Arch Venture Partners, Atlas Venture, RA Capital, Alta Partners, Longwood Fund, Bristol Myers Squibb, Takeda Ventures and Others, to Advance BE-101 Through Clinical Proof of Concept and to Progress BE-102
• Addition of Senior Clinical and Commercial Leadership as Company Orients to Product Development

October 22, 2024 12:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Be Biopharma, Inc. (“Be Bio” or “the Company”), a leader in the discovery and development of engineered B Cell Medicines (BCMs), today announced key milestones alongside a new round of funding as its lead program, BE-101 for Hemophilia B, enters the clinic, and its second development candidate for Hypophosphatasia is unveiled. Both programs are built on Be Bio’s powerful and efficient BCM platform, which utilizes gene editing to engineer B cells to produce sustained levels of therapeutic proteins, resulting in durable, titratable, and redosable candidates that require no preconditioning and have the potential to become best-in-class genetic medicines.

Key recent milestones include:

• BE-101: Phase 1/2 BeCoMe-9 Trial Open for Patient Enrollment; Granted Fast Track Designation. In May 2024, Be Bio announced that BE-101, a first-in-class BCM, received clearance of its Investigational New Drug application. BE-101 is designed to produce constant levels of Factor IX in a durable, redosable, and titratable manner, without the need for preconditioning. BeCoMe-9 is a multi-center, first-in-human dose escalation study aimed at evaluating the safety and preliminary efficacy of BE-101 in adults with moderately severe to severe Hemophilia B. FDA has recently granted BE-101 Fast Track Designation.
• BE-102 Nominated as a Development Candidate for Hypophosphatasia (HPP): BE-102 has been selected as a development candidate for the treatment of Hypophosphatasia (HPP), a severe genetic disease with very high unmet medical need, affecting approximately 50,000 patients. HPP is characterized by loss of function mutations in the ALPL gene which lead to deficient alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, resulting in weakened and underdeveloped bones and teeth. The only approved therapy for HPP requires multiple injections per week and is limited to pediatric-onset forms of the disease. Data presented at the 2024 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) Meeting showed that BE-102 has the potential to generate active and sustained levels of ALP in vivo.
• $82 Million Financing to Advance BE-101 to Clinical Proof of Concept and Progress BE-102: The Company has closed an $82 million financing, with backing from top venture capital firms and pharmaceutical companies, including ARCH Venture Partners, Atlas Venture, RA Capital Management, Alta Partners, Longwood Fund, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Takeda Ventures. The funds will be used to achieve clinical proof of concept for BE-101 and to advance the development of BE-102.
• Key Hires in Clinical Development and Commercial: The Company is excited to welcome Suha Patel as Senior Vice President of Commercial & Franchise Strategy and Kiran Patki, MD as Senior Vice President of Clinical Development. Ms. Patel joins from Roche/Genentech, where she led the successful launch of Hemlibra and held senior roles across marketing, medical marketing and sales. Dr. Patki joins from Rally Bio, where he served as Senior Vice President and Global Team Leader for asset development projects, with prior leadership experience at Alexion Pharmaceuticals. Concurrent with building out these later-stage functions, the Company will streamline its early research organization and related functions to focus resources on product development.

“Advancing two BCMs that harness the potential of this new modality represents an exciting step in transforming the treatment landscape for their respective indications with potentially best-in-class genetic medicines. With support from a top-tier syndicate of investors and pharmaceutical companies, we are eager to clinically demonstrate BE-101’s potential to provide a highly durable FIX replacement therapy for Hemophilia B patients. Additionally, we are excited to advance BE-102 to address the needs of a large patient population with few to no therapeutic options,” said Joanne Smith-Farrell, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Be Bio. “As we build out the team to support product development, we are delighted to welcome Suha and Kiran, experienced leaders who bring deep development and commercial expertise to our team, further strengthening our leadership as we transition into a clinical-stage company.”

Dr. Smith-Farrell added: “Our innovative and highly effective research team is the driving force behind the creation of BE-101 and BE-102. They quickly brought the BCM platform to life, achieving IND clearance for BE-101 in just 2.5 years from the program’s inception, and advancing BE-102 to DC in only 15 months, showcasing the platform’s versatility and modularity. As we shift resources toward product development, some valued colleagues will be moving on. We are incredibly proud of their achievements and deeply grateful for their tireless and impactful work on behalf of Be Bio and the patients whose lives we hope these therapies will one day transform.”

About BE-101

BE-101 is a first-in-class BCM that is engineered to insert the human Factor IX (FIX) gene into primary human B cells, allowing for continuous expression of active FIX for the treatment of hemophilia B. BE-101 has the potential to express sustained therapeutic FIX activity levels with a single infusion while having the flexibility to be titrated and/or re-dosed, and without the need for preconditioning. The potential to maintain therapeutic FIX activity levels while the reducing dosing frequency associated with current FIX replacement regimens could address the considerable infusion burden associated with current therapies and potentially drive reductions in the annualized bleeding rates and FIX usage. The US FDA cleared the BE-101 IND in May of 2024, and granted Fast Track designation in September of 2024. The Phase 1/2 BeCoMe-9 Trial has been initiated and further details of the trial can be found at www.clinicaltrials.gov under NCT identifier: NCT06611436.

About Hemophilia B

Hemophilia B is an X-linked recessive bleeding disorder that affects approximately 40,000 people globally. It is caused by mutations in the gene that encodes for the FIX protein, an essential enzyme in the coagulation cascade. This can lead to spontaneous bleeding as well as bleeding following injuries or surgery. People with hemophilia B bleed longer than other people. Bleeds can occur internally, into joints and muscles, or externally, from minor cuts, dental procedures or trauma. The current standard of care remains prophylactic administration FIX replacement therapy with a dosing frequency that ranges from every week to every 2 weeks. The short biological half-life of FIX requires lifelong frequent infusions to maintain therapeutic levels.

About BE-102

BE-102 is a first-in-class BCM that has been engineered using artificial intelligence-guided protein design to modify primary human B cells to produce ALP, an enzyme deficient in people living with HPP. A single infusion of BE-102 has the potential to express sustained therapeutic ALP with the flexibility to be titrated and/or re-dosed, if needed, and without the need for pre-conditioning. BE-102 has been selected as a Development Candidate and has the potential to transform the standard of care for people living with HPP.

About Hypophosphatasia

HPP is a genetic disease caused by loss of function mutations in the ALPL gene, leading to a deficiency in ALP activity that is required for healthy mineralization of bones and teeth. Insufficient levels of ALP result in the inability of calcium and phosphate to mobilize from the blood, resulting in weakened and underdeveloped bones and teeth. HPP is estimated to affect up to 50,000 people. There is only one approved therapy which requires three to six times a week administration.

About Engineered B Cell Medicines – A New Class of Cellular Medicines

The B cell is a powerful cell that produces thousands of proteins per cell per second at constant levels, and over decades. Precision genome editing can now be used to engineer B Cells that produce therapeutic proteins of interest, driving a new class of cellular medicines – Engineered B Cell Medicines (BCMs) – with the potential to be durable, allogeneic, redosable, and administered without pre-conditioning. The promise of BCMs could transform therapeutic biologics across protein classes, patient populations and therapeutic areas.

About Be Biopharma

Be Biopharma (“Be Bio”) is pioneering Engineered B Cell Medicines (BCMs) to dramatically improve the lives of patients who are living with Hemophilia B and other genetic diseases, cancer, and other serious conditions. With eyes locked on the patient, our team of purpose-driven scientists, technologists, manufacturing experts and business builders collaborate to create a bold new class of cell therapies. Be Bio was founded in October 2020, and is backed by ARCH Venture Partners, Atlas Venture, RA Capital Management, Alta Partners, Longwood Fund, Bristol Myers Squibb, Takeda Ventures, Seattle Children’s Research Institute and others to re-imagine medicine based on the power of Engineered B cells. For more information, please visit us at Be.Bio and our LinkedIn page.

Contacts

Investor:
ir@be.bio

Media:
media@be.bio

• New preclinical data demonstrate potential for precision-engineered B cell medicines (“BCMs”) to produce active and sustained levels of tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase (“ALP”)
• Data presented at the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research 2024 Annual Meeting

September 30, 2024 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Be Biopharma, Inc. (“Be Bio”), a company pioneering the discovery and development of engineered B Cell Medicines (BCMs), today announced the presentation of preclinical data demonstrating the transformative power of BCMs to produce active alkaline phosphatase (ALP), highlighting BCMs as a potential treatment for Hypophosphatasia (HPP). Researchers coupled CRISPR/Cas9 precision gene engineering and artificial intelligence-guided protein design to modify primary human B cells to express ALP, an enzyme deficient in people living with HPP. The findings were presented during poster presentations at the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) 2024 Annual Meeting (Thursday September 26^th through Saturday, September 28^th).

HPP is a rare genetic disease caused by loss of function mutations in the ALPL gene which leads to deficient ALP activity. People living with HPP can experience wide-ranging systemic complications, with impaired bone mineralization, such as rickets/osteomalacia, as the major clinical hallmark of disease. The only approved therapy for HPP is an enzyme replacement therapy, asfotase alfa, which requires multiple injections every week and is approved only for use in patients with pediatric-onset forms of HPP.

“This study builds on data presented earlier this year, demonstrating the ability of BCMs to produce sustained active levels of ALP in vivo,” said Rick Morgan, Chief Scientific Officer. “Our ALP-BCM is designed to address key unmet medical needs in HPP, delivering constant levels of active ALP, with a medicine that has the potential for once-yearly administration, does not require pre-conditioning, and can be re-dosed as necessary. These positive preclinical data support the potential of an ALP-BCM as a first-in-class medicine for people living with HPP.”

In this study, primary human B cells were expanded and precision engineered by CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing with AAV-mediated homology directed repair (HDR) to insert an ALP gene expression cassette into various loci, including CCR5 (a safe harbor locus). Guided by an artificial intelligence-based ALP protein structure design engine, protein constructs were optimized for activity and stability of ALP-Fc fusion proteins. Engineered BCMs secreted active ALP proteins (ALP-BCM) and demonstrated phenotypic correction in an in vitro bone mineralization model. Notably, ALP-BCMs engrafted in an immunodeficient mouse model and produced sustained levels of active ALP. These data underscore the potential of ALP-BCMs to address a significant unmet medical need as a potential HPP treatment. No adverse effects were observed during the in vivo study.

About Engineered B Cell Medicines – A New Class of Cellular Medicines

The B cell is a powerful cell that produces thousands of proteins per cell per second at constant levels, and over decades. Precision genome editing can now be used to engineer B Cells that produce therapeutic proteins of interest, driving a new class of cellular medicines – Engineered B Cell Medicines (BCMs) – with the potential to be durable, allogeneic, redosable, and administered without pre-conditioning. The promise of BCMs could transform therapeutic biologics with broad application — across protein classes, patient populations and therapeutic areas.

About Be Biopharma

Be Biopharma (“Be Bio”) is pioneering Engineered B Cell Medicines (BCMs) to dramatically improve the lives of patients who are living with Hemophilia B and other genetic diseases, cancer, and other serious conditions. With eyes locked on the patient, our team of purpose-driven scientists, technologists, manufacturing experts and business builders collaborate to create a bold new class of cell therapies. Be Bio was founded in October 2020 by B cell engineering pioneers David Rawlings, M.D., and Richard James, Ph.D., from Seattle Children’s Research Institute. Be Bio is backed by ARCH Venture Partners, Atlas Venture, RA Capital Management, Alta Partners, Longwood Fund, Bristol Myers Squibb, Takeda Ventures, Seattle Children’s Research Institute and others. Since our founding, Be Bio’s investors have committed over $180 million to enable the Company to re-imagine medicine based on the power of B cell therapy. For more information, please visit us at Be.Bio and our LinkedIn page.

Contacts

Investor Contact:
ir@be.bio

Media Contact:
media@be.bio

June 04, 2024 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.–Be Biopharma, Inc. (“Be Bio”), a company pioneering the discovery and development of Engineered B Cell Medicines (BCMs), today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Orphan Drug Designation to BE-101, a novel engineered B Cell medicine (BCM) being developed for the treatment of Hemophilia B. Be Bio is on track to initiate its Phase 1/2 study, BeCoMe-9, evaluating BE-101 in adults with severe or moderately severe Hemophilia B in the second half of 2024.

“Despite recent advances, patients with hemophilia B still suffer from bleeding events, joint damage and chronic pain,” said Joanne Smith-Farrell, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Be Bio. “BE-101 has the potential to be the first and only Factor IX replacement therapy that is extremely durable, re-dosable and titratable, representing an opportunity to dramatically improve the treatment paradigm in hemophilia B. The Orphan Drug Designation reinforces the potential of this therapy and underscores the need for improved therapeutic options for these patients.”

The FDA grants Orphan Drug Designation to drugs or biologics designed to treat rare diseases or conditions affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the United States. This designation offers several significant advantages, including a seven-year period of exclusive marketing rights following approval, exemption from user fees, and eligibility for tax credits on qualified clinical trials.

About BE-101

BE-101 is a first-in-class B Cell Medicine (BCM) that is engineered to insert the human FIX gene into primary human B cells, allowing for expression of active FIX for the treatment of Hemophilia B. BE-101 has the potential to express sustained therapeutic FIX activity levels with a single infusion with the flexibility to be re-dosed, if needed. The potential to maintain therapeutic FIX activity levels while reducing dosing frequency associated with current FIX replacement regimens would address the considerable infusion burden associated with current therapies and potentially drive significant reductions in the annualized bleeding rates and FIX usage. Be Bio expects to initiate a phase 1/2 study, BeCoMe-9, evaluating BE-101 in patients with severe or moderately severe Hemophilia B in the second half of 2024.

About Hemophilia B

Hemophilia B is an X-linked recessive bleeding disorder that affects approximately 1:20,000 males. It is caused by mutations in the gene that encodes for the FIX protein, an essential enzyme in the coagulation cascade. This can lead to spontaneous bleeding as well as bleeding following injuries or surgery.¹ People with hemophilia B bleed longer than other people. Bleeds can occur internally, into joints and muscles, or externally, from minor cuts, dental procedures or trauma.² While an adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector-based gene therapy has been approved for some adults as a potential new option, the current standard of care and only treatment for children remains prophylactic administration of exogenous FIX derived from recombinant protein. The short biological half-life of FIX requires frequent infusions to maintain therapeutic levels.

About Engineered B Cell Medicines – A New Class of Cellular Medicines

The B cell is a powerful cell that produces thousands of proteins per cell per second at constant levels, over decades. Precision genome editing can now be used to engineer B Cells that produce therapeutic proteins of interest, driving a new class of cellular medicines – Engineered B Cell Medicines (BCMs) – with the potential to be durable, allogeneic, redosable and administered without pre-conditioning. The promise of BCMs could transform therapeutic biologics with broad application — across protein classes, patient populations and therapeutic areas.

About Be Biopharma

Be Biopharma (“Be Bio”) is pioneering Engineered B Cell Medicines (BCMs) to dramatically improve the lives of patients who are living with Hemophilia B and other genetic diseases, cancer, and other serious conditions. With eyes locked on the patient, our team of purpose-driven scientists, technologists, manufacturing experts and business builders collaborate to create a bold new class of cell therapies. Be Bio was founded in October 2020 by B cell engineering pioneers David Rawlings, M.D., and Richard James, Ph.D., from Seattle Children’s Research Institute. Be Bio is backed by ARCH Venture Partners, Atlas Venture, RA Capital Management, Alta Partners, Longwood Fund, Bristol Myers Squibb, Takeda Ventures, Seattle Children’s Research Institute and others. Since our founding, Be Bio’s investors have committed over $180 million to enable the Company to re-imagine medicine based on the power of B cell therapy. For more information, please visit us at Be.Bio and our LinkedIn page.

References

¹What is Hemophilia? U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed November 9, 2023
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/hemophilia/facts.html
²Hemophilia B. National Bleeding Disorders Foundation. Accessed November 9, 2023
https://www.hemophilia.org/bleeding-disorders-a-z/types/hemophilia-b

Contacts

Investor Contact:
ir@be.bio

Media Contact:
media@be.bio

BE-101 is the first engineered B Cell Medicine to Enter Clinical Trials for Hemophilia B

Initiation of BeCoMe-9 Phase 1/2 Clinical Study Expected in the Second Half of 2024

May 28, 2024 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.–Be Biopharma, Inc. (“Be Bio”), a company pioneering the discovery and development of Engineered B Cell Medicines (BCMs), today announced the clearance of its Investigational New Drug application (IND) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for BE-101, a first-in-class BCM in development for the potential treatment of hemophilia B. The Phase 1/2 clinical trial, BeCoMe-9, is a multi-center, first-in-human dose escalation study designed to assess the safety and preliminary efficacy of BE-101 in adult participants with moderately severe to severe hemophilia B. Be Bio expects to begin dosing participants in the second half of 2024.

“Be Bio was founded to develop transformative medicines, with eyes locked on the patient. Adults and children with hemophilia B have long sought a single dose Factor IX replacement therapy with extreme durability while retaining the dosing flexibility of the current standard of care. BE-101 seeks to deliver active and sustained levels of Factor IX using a patient’s own B cells in a simple infusion that requires no preconditioning,” said Joanne Smith-Farrell, Chief Executive Officer. “The IND clearance is a major milestone in our journey to offer a new, transformative standard of care for people with hemophilia B, and drives Be Bio’s transition to becoming a clinical-stage company.”

“Hemophilia B is not yet solved as bleeding events can create long-term consequences, such as significant chronic pain and irreversible joint damage,” said Dr. Steven Pipe, Medical Director of the Pediatric Hemophilia and Coagulation Disorders Program and Medical Director of the Special Coagulation Laboratory at the University of Michigan. “BE-101 has the potential to be disease modifying by providing long-lasting FIX protection using the patient’s own B cells while providing the option to be titratable and redosable as necessary. If proven safe and effective in adults, the ability to treat children and transform the phenotype as early as possible would be a game changer.”

In preclinical studies, a single dose of BE-101 has demonstrated the ability to deliver active and sustained FIX levels. The data confirmed the expected biodistribution of FIX-expressing BCMs in bone marrow tissue, where they engraft stably over time. Additionally, the redosability of BE-101 has been demonstrated, resulting in a predictable increase in plasma FIX levels.

About BE-101

BE-101 is an autologous first-in-class B Cell Medicine (BCM) that is engineered to insert the human FIX gene into primary human B cells, allowing for expression of active FIX for the treatment of hemophilia B. BE-101 has the potential to express sustained therapeutic FIX activity levels with a single infusion with the flexibility to be re-dosed, if needed. The potential to maintain therapeutic FIX activity levels while reducing dosing frequency associated with current FIX replacement regimens would address the considerable infusion burden associated with current therapies and potentially drive significant reductions in the annualized bleeding rates and FIX usage.

About Hemophilia B

Hemophilia B is an X-linked recessive bleeding disorder that affects approximately 1:20,000 males. It is caused by mutations in the gene that encodes for the FIX protein, an essential enzyme in the coagulation cascade. This can lead to spontaneous bleeding as well as bleeding following injuries or surgery.¹ People with hemophilia B bleed longer than other people. Bleeds can occur internally, into joints and muscles, or externally, from minor cuts, dental procedures or trauma.² While an adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector-based gene therapy has been approved for some adults as a potential new option, the current standard of care and only treatment for children remains prophylactic administration of exogenous FIX derived from recombinant protein. The short biological half-life of FIX requires frequent infusions to maintain therapeutic levels.

About Engineered B Cell Medicines – A New Class of Cellular Medicines

The B cell is a powerful cell that produces thousands of proteins per cell per second at constant levels, over decades. Precision genome editing can now be used to engineer B cells that produce therapeutic proteins of interest, driving a new class of cellular medicines – Engineered B Cell Medicines (BCMs) – with the potential to be durable, allogeneic, redosable, and administered without pre-conditioning. The promise of BCMs could transform therapeutic biologics with broad application — across protein classes, patient populations and therapeutic areas.

About Be Biopharma

Be Biopharma (“Be Bio”) is pioneering Engineered B Cell Medicines (BCMs) to dramatically improve the lives of patients who are living with Hemophilia B and other genetic diseases, cancer, and other serious conditions. With eyes locked on the patient, our team of purpose-driven scientists, technologists, manufacturing experts and business builders collaborate to create a bold new class of cell therapies. Be Bio was founded in October 2020 by B cell engineering pioneers David Rawlings, M.D., and Richard James, Ph.D., from Seattle Children’s Research Institute. Be Bio is backed by ARCH Venture Partners, Atlas Venture, RA Capital Management, Alta Partners, Longwood Fund, Bristol Myers Squibb, Takeda Ventures, Seattle Children’s Research Institute and others. Since our founding, Be Bio’s investors have committed over $180 million to enable the Company to re-imagine medicine based on the power of B cell therapy. For more information, please visit us at Be.Bio and our LinkedIn page.

References

¹What is Hemophilia? U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed November 9, 2023
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/hemophilia/facts.html

²Hemophilia B. National Bleeding Disorders Foundation. Accessed November 9, 2023
https://www.hemophilia.org/bleeding-disorders-a-z/types/hemophilia-b

May 21, 2024 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Be Biopharma, Inc. (“Be Bio”), a company pioneering the discovery and development of Engineered B Cell Medicines (BCMs), today announced the addition of Paula Cannon, Ph.D., to its Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Cannon, Distinguished Professor of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, was recently appointed President of the American Society for Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT). Dr. Cannon will work with other members of the Scientific Advisory Board to provide scientific and clinical guidance as the Company advances its pipeline of B Cell Medicine (BCM) programs, including its lead program, BE-101, a first-in-class BCM for the treatment of hemophilia B.

“Be Bio is pioneering the development of engineered B cell medicines to create a new paradigm for therapeutic proteins, and Paula’s experience is an ideal fit for our esteemed Scientific Advisory Board,” said Joanne Smith-Farrell, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Be Bio. “There are few individuals that have the combination of gene editing know-how and B cell biology as Paula, and we look forward to drawing on her extensive research and clinical experience as we advance our novel BCM platform across protein classes and therapeutic areas and progress BE-101, our lead program, in hemophilia B.”

“Engineered B cell medicines have the potential to disrupt traditional biologics by leveraging the immune system’s biosynthetic powerhouse, the B cell, to develop a new class of therapeutics,” said Dr. Cannon. “Cell and gene therapies are literally changing lives, and I am delighted to join Be Bio’s Scientific Advisory Board and look forward to working with other industry leaders to advance the potential of engineered B Cell Medicines.”

Dr. Cannon was recently named the President of ASGCT, the largest professional organization for academic and industry scientists working in this area of medicine. Her background as a virologist studying HIV and other RNA viruses led to an interest in how viruses could be exploited as gene therapy vectors. More recently her lab has made advances engineering B cells to express customizable antibodies and non-antibody molecules, in a way that could take advantage of the natural response of B cells to vaccination. She is joined on the Scientific Advisory Board by experts in the fields of B cell biology, cell and gene therapy, genetic and infectious disease, and oncology.

About Engineered B Cell Medicines – A New Class of Cellular Medicines
The B cell is a powerful cell that produces thousands of proteins per cell per second at constant levels, over decades. Precision genome editing can now be used to engineer B Cells that produce therapeutic proteins of interest, driving a new class of cellular medicines – Engineered B Cell Medicines (BCMs) – with the potential to be durable, allogeneic, redosable and administered without pre-conditioning. The promise of BCMs could transform therapeutic biologics with broad application — across protein classes, patient populations and therapeutic areas.

About Be Biopharma
Be Biopharma (“Be Bio”) is pioneering engineered B Cell Medicines (BCMs) to dramatically improve the lives of patients who are living with Hemophilia B and other genetic diseases, cancer, and other serious conditions. With eyes locked on the patient, our team of purpose-driven scientists, technologists, manufacturing experts and business builders collaborate to create a bold new class of cell therapies. Be Bio was founded in October 2020 by B cell engineering pioneers David Rawlings, M.D., and Richard James, Ph.D., from Seattle Children’s Research Institute. Be Bio is backed by ARCH Venture Partners, Atlas Venture, RA Capital Management, Alta Partners, Longwood Fund, Bristol Myers Squibb, Takeda Ventures, Seattle Children’s Research Institute and others. Since our founding, Be Bio’s investors have committed over $180 million to enable the Company to re-imagine medicine based on the power of B cell therapy. For more information, please visit us at Be.Bio and our LinkedIn page.

Contacts

Investors:
ir@be.bio

Media:
media@be.bio