Vancouver, British Columbia – TheNewswire - October 25, 2022 – GeneTether Therapeutics Inc. (“GeneTether” or the “Company”) (CSE:GTTX) is pleased to provide an update from the CEO.

 

Dear Shareholders,

 

I would first like to thank all our shareholders for their support of GeneTether. Despite many negative macro environment factors, there are many reasons why I'm excited to be sharing our update with you.

 

I think we all agree that the equity markets in general, and the biotech sector in particular, have been hit really hard over the past 12 months due to multiple factors, including the pandemic, inflation, the conflict in Ukraine, and the recent market correction. However, most would agree that the long-term outlook for gene editing appears promising, given the significant recent progress being made on the development front. We certainly see the upside potential in gene editing as a whole and in particular, GeneTether, as evidenced by the fact that many insiders, including myself, have been actively buying GTTX shares in the secondary markets (further information concerning these trades is publicly available on the SEDI website at www.sedi.ca).

 

As a reminder, our innovative, proprietary platform technology has shown to significantly increase the efficiency of DNA insertion into the genome. We believe that our technology, which showed a 7x higher gene editing efficiency in our proof-of-concept study, applies to most gene correction/gene complementation strategies, regardless of organ or disease. This creates numerous opportunities to partner with other gene editing companies that are focused on gene correction and complementation.

 

We have a very strong IP portfolio that is wholly owned and is comprised of composition of matter patents with broad claims. Last May, we received our patent in the U.S. (expected expiry of July 2040), which significantly strengthened our intellectual property portfolio. Further, the broad claims are not limited to any particular nuclease. They provide protection for the GeneTether platform technology as it relates to Cas nucleases, such as Cas9, but also other nucleases, including TALENs, meganucleases, and zinc finger nucleases (ZFN). This is really exciting as it reinforces the commercial potential for GeneTether, both internally and with potential collaborators.

 

In addition to the patents currently issued in the U.S. and Australia, GeneTether has several pending patent applications, including for compositions comprising alternate DNA binding domains. I’m pleased to say that these patents applications in jurisdictions such as Europe, China and Canada are all progressing as planned and that we will keep you updated on any material developments concerning them.

 

On the R&D front, we’ve recently pivoted our R&D efforts towards advancing our programs in-house versus outsourcing most activities. This allows us to preserve cash and exert greater control over experimental designs and development of protocols. We believe this will increase efficiencies and significantly de-risk any future outsourced R&D activities.

 

In August, we secured space in the new Bay Area Disruptor and Startup Support Lab facility, which is very well equipped to support GeneTether R&D and is close to the local biotechnology community, UC Berkeley, and core scientific facilities. This allows us to accelerate the work we are conducting with our proprietary platform on new disease indications and gene targets.

 

One area of interest for us is related to chronic kidney disease (CKD). There are 625 known genetically driven monogenic disorders associated with kidney and urological traits. We believe our technology may allow us to develop gene medicine-based treatments for common subtypes of both autosomal dominant tubulo-interstitial kidney disease (ADTKD) and autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). Our main current R&D efforts are concentrated on the most common form of ADTKD caused by mutations in the uromodulin gene (UMOD). We believe a gene correction approach will offer a curative treatment for this disorder for which there is no current treatment beyond symptom management or kidney transplant.

 

As we progress towards IND-enabling studies, we are exploring some novel types of preclinical studies, which would include collaborations with scientists at the cutting edge of chronic kidney diseases and other third parties. I expect to be able to share more details on our R&D plan as it continues to advance.

 

As you can see, we’re extremely excited about GeneTether’s potential and I look forward to keeping you all informed.

 

Best regards,

 

Roland Boivin

  

For the most recent corporate presentation, visit www.genetether.com.

About GeneTether

 

Founded by EGB Ventures founder and managing partner, William J. Garner, M.D., and veteran gene editing researcher, R. Geoffrey Sargent, Ph.D., GeneTether is focused on developing its disruptive proprietary platform technology to significantly increase the efficiency of DNA insertion into the genome for gene correction and complementation strategies. The Company’s wholly-owned GeneTether™ platform technology uses a proprietary method to “tether” donor DNA templates to the genome editing complex, making the template readily available for use during the genome editing repair stage. The Company is leveraging its platform technology to develop curative therapies for the treatment of rare genetic diseases. GeneTether’s proof of concept study demonstrated an approximately 7x higher gene editing efficiency as compared to the same gene editing payload without application of the GeneTether technology.

 

For more information, visit www.genetether.com.

 

Contacts:

 

Roland Boivin, CEO

(833) 294-4363 ext. 1

roland@genetether.com

 

Jean Jen, CFO and Corporate Secretary

(833) 294-4363 ext. 2

jean@genetether.com

 

Forward-Looking Disclaimer

 

This news release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements." Such forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause GeneTether’s actual results, performance or achievements, or developments in the industry to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "could" or "should" occur.

 

Forward-looking statements in this document include the expectation that the Company will significantly advance its research and development plan, expectations that the Company will develop collaboration opportunities with other genetic medicines companies, the expectation that the GeneTetherTM platform technology applies to most other gene correction/gene complementation strategies regardless of organ or disease, expectations that advancing our programs in-house will help us preserve cash and exert greater control over designs and development protocols, and all other statements that are not statements of historical fact.

 

Although GeneTether believes the forward-looking information contained in this news release is reasonable based on information available on the date hereof, by their nature forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.  By their nature, these statements involve a variety of assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, levels of activity and achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements.

Examples of such assumptions, risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, assumptions, risks and uncertainties associated with the global COVID-19 pandemic; general economic conditions; adverse industry events; future legislative and regulatory developments; the Company’s ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources, and/or inability to access sufficient capital on favorable terms; the ability of GeneTether to implement its business strategies; competition; the ability of GeneTether to obtain and retain all applicable regulatory approvals and other assumptions, risks and uncertainties, including those set forth under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s final prospectus dated March 21, 2022.

 

THE FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS NEWS RELEASE REPRESENTS THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE COMPANY AS OF THE DATE OF THIS NEWS RELEASE AND, ACCORDINGLY, IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AFTER SUCH DATE. READERS SHOULD NOT PLACE UNDUE IMPORTANCE ON FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION AND SHOULD NOT RELY UPON THIS INFORMATION AS OF ANY OTHER DATE. WHILE THE COMPANY MAY ELECT TO, IT DOES NOT UNDERTAKE TO UPDATE THIS INFORMATION AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME EXCEPT AS REQUIRED IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAWS.

The Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Service has approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release