News Release

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. and PITTSBURGH, June 10, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vor Biopharma (Nasdaq: VOR) and Abound Bio today announced they have entered into a multi-year strategic collaboration and license agreement to research both single- and multi-targeted CAR-T treatments to be used in combination with Vor’s engineered hematopoietic stem cell (eHSC) platform, with the goal of generating novel treatment systems for patients fighting acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and other devastating forms of blood cancer.

The partnership is a natural expansion of Vor’s mission to create eHSC therapies that unlock the potential of targeted treatments by protecting patients’ healthy cells. Through this alliance, the companies aim to develop therapies that target multiple antigens on patients’ cancer cells while removing or modifying the same targets on healthy cells through Vor’s novel eHSC platform, thereby shielding the patient’s hematopoietic system from unwanted side effects.

Abound Bio was co-founded in 2019 by Dimiter “Mitko” Dimitrov, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, a world-renowned antibody scientist who was previously a Senior Investigator at the National Cancer Institute, and John Mellors, M.D., Chief Executive Officer, an internationally recognized physician-scientist and academic leader. Rimas Orentas, Ph.D., who is a pioneer in CAR-T cell therapy, serves as Abound Bio’s Vice President for Cellular Therapy.

“We are honored to work with Rimas, Mitko and John, leading experts in antibody discovery and engineering and CAR-T development,” said Sadik Kassim, Ph.D., Vor’s Chief Technology Officer. “The creation of best-in-class single- and multi-targeted CAR-T cells that can potentially be used in combination with our eHSC platform is an exciting area of exploration for Vor as we seek to transform the lives of cancer patients.”

“While multi-targeted CAR-T cells are potentially more potent than treatments targeting single antigens, their use in AML has previously been limited by the greater threat they would pose to healthy blood cells,” said Dr. Rimas Orentas. “Our team is excited to partner with Vor, whose novel eHSC therapies could prove to be the key to enabling success for multi-specific CAR-Ts and achieving durable clinical responses for patients suffering from blood cancers.”

Financial terms were not disclosed.

About Vor Biopharma
Vor Biopharma is a cell therapy company that aims to transform the lives of cancer patients by pioneering an engineered hematopoietic stem cell (eHSC) therapeutic platform to create next-generation, treatment-resistant transplants that unlock the potential of targeted therapies. By removing biologically redundant proteins from eHSCs, we design these cells and their progeny to be treatment-resistant to complementary targeted therapies, thereby enabling these therapies to selectively destroy cancer cells while sparing healthy cells.

About Abound Bio
Abound Bio is an innovative and successful privately held biotechnology company with the mission of generating novel antibody-based biological therapeutics to meet unmet medical needs in the fields of cancer and infectious diseases. Abound Bio's industry-leading human antibody libraries offer size, diversity and developability advantages that incorporate different binder formats, including VH domains, scFvs and Fabs, into appropriate therapeutic platforms. The company’s investors include UPMC Enterprises, the innovation and commercialization arm of UPMC, a leading health system.

Vor Biopharma Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words “aim,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Forward-looking statements in this press release include statements regarding the potential of Vor’s (the Company) platform to treat patients suffering from acute myeloid leukemia and other blood cancers. The Company may not actually achieve the plans, intentions, or expectations disclosed in these forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including: uncertainties inherent in the initiation and completion of preclinical studies and clinical trials and clinical development of the Company’s product candidates; availability and timing of results from preclinical studies and clinical trials; whether interim results from a clinical trial will be predictive of the final results of the trial or the results of future trials; expectations for regulatory approvals to conduct trials or to market products and availability of funding sufficient for the Company’s foreseeable and unforeseeable operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements.  These and other risks are described in greater detail under the caption “Risk Factors” included in the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2021, which is on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and in other filings that the Company makes with the SEC in the future. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof, and the Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

Vor Contacts:

Investor:
Chris Brinzey
Westwicke, an ICR Company
+1 339-970-2843
chris.brinzey@westwicke.com 

Media:
Rebecca Spalding
Ten Bridge Communications
+1 646-509-3831
rebecca@tenbridgecommunications.com 

Abound Contact:

Gabriella Merritt
Director of Operations
Gabriella.Merritt@aboundbio.com