Benzinga | Aug 10, 2021 08:03AM EDT

aTyr Pharma Reports Expansion Of Its Research Collab With Ohio State University

aTyr Pharma, Inc. (NASDAQ:LIFE), a clinical stage biotherapeutics company, today announced that the company has expanded its research collaboration with The Ohio State University (OSU) to deepen the understanding of the immune mechanisms of sarcoid granuloma formation and identify potential biomarkers of efficacy for the company's lead therapeutic candidate, ATYR1923, which is currently in clinical development for the treatment of pulmonary sarcoidosis. The research will be conducted in the laboratory of Elliott Crouser, M.D., Professor of Pulmonology, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at OSU. Dr. Crouser specializes in sarcoidosis research and treatment and will serve as the principal investigator.

The collaboration, which expands upon a successful pilot proof-of-concept study, will assess the effect of ATYR1923 on sarcoid granuloma formation in vitro in blood samples taken from sarcoidosis patients. The study will focus on identifying the relevant immune mechanisms triggered in granuloma formation and analyze promising biomarkers predictive of strong granuloma formation in order to assess whether they could be used as predictive biomarkers for treatment selection or treatment response to ATYR1923.

"We look forward to working with aTyr on this important initiative to expand the current understanding of the underlying mechanisms involved in pulmonary sarcoidosis, particularly the formation of granulomas. This work has the potential to identify promising biomarkers that may be used to predict treatment response, including to ATYR1923. Current treatment options for pulmonary sarcoidosis are limited, and the ability to determine a patient population that may benefit from a potential treatment such as ATYR1923 presents the opportunity to take a much-needed step forward in managing this disease," said Dr. Crouser.

"We are very pleased to expand this research collaboration with OSU and Dr. Crouser. This collaboration will build upon the successful findings from research conducted with Dr. Crouser that were recently accepted to be presented at the upcoming European Respiratory Society International Congress in September, which demonstrate the ability of a splice variant of histidyl-tRNA synthetase, the active portion of ATYR1923, to disrupt sarcoid granuloma formation in vitro -- a hallmark of this debilitating disease," said Sanjay Shukla, M.D., M.S., President and Chief Executive Officer of aTyr. "The research generated from this collaboration may help direct us to biomarkers indicative of a population that may be sensitive to treatment with ATYR1923, which could lead to improved patient outcomes."

Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease characterized by the formulation of granulomas, clumps of inflammatory cells, in one or more organs of the body. Sarcoidosis in the lungs is called pulmonary sarcoidosis and occurs in more than 90% of all sarcoidosis patients. Approximately 150,000 to 200,000 Americans live with pulmonary sarcoidosis and the prognosis ranges from benign and self-limiting to chronic, debilitating disease, permanent loss of lung function and death. Current treatment options include corticosteroids and other immunosuppressive therapies, which have limited efficacy and are associated with serious side-effects when used long-term that many patients cannot tolerate.

Dr. Crouser received his medical degree from the Medical College of Ohio at Toledo, OH. He completed an internship, residency and fellowship at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, OH. He is board certified in Internal Medicine with subspecialty certifications in Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care. He is a leader in sarcoidosis research and treatment and currently serves as the Chair of the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research's Scientific Advisory Board. In 25 years, his laboratory has contributed to the publication of more than 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts, including the first clinical practice guidelines for sarcoidosis, which were endorsed by the American Thoracic Society in 2020. Ohio State's Sarcoidosis Specialty Clinic was named a Center of Excellence in 2020 by the World Association of Sarcoidosis and Other Granulomatous Disorders.