MaaT Pharma and Lutech Sign Licensing Agreement for Graft-vs-Host Disease

Date : June 21, 2018

MaaT Pharma receives world-wide exclusive license to technology co-developed with hematology and gastroenterology departments of Saint-Antoine Hospital, Paris.

Lyon, France, June 21, 2018 – MaaT Pharma, a clinical-stage microbiome therapy company, and SATT Lutech, a private technology transfer company holding the exclusive rights to the scientific findings from research groups at Sorbonne University, APHP, CNRS and INSERM, today announced a licensing agreement under which MaaT Pharma will receive world-wide exclusive rights for the therapeutic application of allogeneic Fecal Microbiome Transplants (FMT) to treat acute Graft-vs-Host Disease (GvHD) in patients following stem cell transplantation. The technology is based on research performed within the Clinical Hematology Department at Saint-Antoine Hospital and Sorbonne University, Paris, France. The license builds the foundation for MaaT Pharma’s MaaT013 program for which the company recently received authorization from the French regulatory authorities to launch a multicenter Phase 2 study in acute GvHD. GvHD is a major complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in which the donor’s immune effector cells attack the recipient’s tissue, causing inflammation, severe damage and often death.MaaT Pharma has developed a unique cGMP platform for next generation FMTs that are based on allogeneic donor material and tailored to disease treatment needs through a thorough analytical screening and reproducible production process. In parallel, the company is developing FMT drugs to prolong survival in acute myeloid leukemia patients by reintroducing a functional microbiome after chemotherapy. A Phase 1/2 study launched in 2016 is being concluded and results to establish proof-of-concept are expected over this summer.

About MaaT Pharma

Founded at the end of 2014, MaaT Pharma (Microbiota as a Therapy) is a clinical-stage biotech company revolutionizing and shaping a new approach to therapies in order to treat serious diseases linked to gut microbiota imbalances. With its breakthrough proprietary platforms (GMP Fecal Microbiome Transfer platform and gΛt Print, its proprietary data science platform), MaaT Pharma is creating FMT-based products and solutions for patients suffering from severe diseases. Addressing currently unmet clinical needs, MaaT Pharma’s revolutionary and rapid approach plays a considerable part in the evolution of treatment therapies. In the upcoming years, with the on-going support from strategic partners and investors, MaaT Pharma will develop patient-friendly solutions (oral forms) to improve overall survival, reduce infectious episodes, reduce gastrointestinal complications and hinder multidrug-resistant bacteria onset.
For additional information, please visit www.maatpharma.com and follow us on Twitter @MaaT_Pharma.

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Acting Chief Scientific Officer

Sheri Simmons

Sheri Simmons, Ph.D., is Acting Chief Scientific Officer at MaaT Pharma. Sheri brings extensive experience in biotechnology, particularly in the microbiome field, having held scientific leadership positions at Seres Therapeutics, Johnson & Johnson’s Microbiome Solutions team, and most recently at Seed Health, a leading probiotics company. In her role, she strengthens the Company’s scientific leadership, overseeing preclinical research, AI/data initiatives, and supporting efforts toward the Marketing Authorization Application of Xervyteg® in aGvHD.

Sheri holds a PhD in Biological Oceanography from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and completed an A.B. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at Princeton University, graduating summa cum laude and as a Phi Beta Kappa member, receiving one of six awards for the best senior thesis in the sciences. Sheri holds a PhD in Biological Oceanography from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and completed an A.B. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at Princeton University, graduating summa cum laude and as a Phi Beta Kappa member, receiving one of six awards for the best senior thesis in the sciences.

CEO and co-founder

Hervé Affagard

Hervé Affagard is the CEO and co-founder of MaaT Pharma. For the past 15 years, Hervé has been an intra/entrepreneur in the healthcare industry, after starting his career in IT in the steel industry. In late 2014, Hervé co-founded the company alongside Dr. Joël Doré, author of nearly 500 publications, and
one of the world’s most cited authors in the microbiome sphere today, after a professional career that spanned multiple industries. Hervé has led MaaT Pharma’s development from its early concept in 2013 and has been at the forefront of the development of the microbiome healthcare ecosystem in France and Europe. In January 2022, Hervé has been elected President of Allliance Promotion Microbiote, an organization founded in 2021 to support the microbiome sector development in France.

Engineer, MBA