Angiocrine Bioscience

About Angiocrine Bioscience

Angiocrine Bioscience is a private, clinical-stage cell and gene therapy company founded in 2012. The company began as a startup at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City and relocated to San Diego in 2015. The firm's core technology was developed based on over two decades of research by its scientific founder, Dr. Shahin Rafii, a prominent hematologist-oncologist and vascular biologist. Dr. Rafii's research established that vascular endothelial cells deploy unique "angiocrine" growth factors that regulate tissue homeostasis and can orchestrate stem cell self-renewal and differentiation. This concept is the foundation of the company's therapeutic approach.

The company's business model centers on the development and commercialization of its proprietary Engineered Endothelial Cell (E-CEL®) therapies. The E-CEL® platform creates genetically modified human umbilical vein endothelial cells (E-CEL® cells) that can be cultured and expanded. These allogeneic, or 'universal', cells are designed to be administered intravenously to patients. Upon encountering injury or disease, the E-CEL® cells are activated to produce a mixture of reparative factors. These factors help to repair the microvasculature and signal the body's own stem cells to regenerate damaged tissues and restore organ function. The firm operates in the biotechnology and regenerative medicine markets, focusing on therapies for serious medical conditions where the body's natural healing capacity is compromised, such as hematologic, immunologic, and degenerative diseases. Its estimated annual revenue is approximately $6.4 million.

Angiocrine's lead product candidate, AB-205, is an intravenous investigational cell therapy designed to repair organ vascular niche injuries. It is being developed to prevent severe complications in lymphoma patients undergoing high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation. In November 2020, the FDA granted AB-205 the Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) designation, which can expedite the development and review process. The company is conducting a multi-center, pivotal Phase 3 registration trial for AB-205, named E-CELERATE, supported in part by a $15 million grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) awarded in December 2022. Angiocrine is also exploring locally injected formulations of its therapies for conditions like rotator cuff tears and non-healing fistulas in post-radiation cancer patients.