Eliem Therapeutics, Inc. announced the closing of its acquisition with Tenet Medicines. Following the closing of the acquisition, Eliem's strategy will be to develop TNT119 for a range of autoimmune-mediated diseases, where it believes CD19-targeted approaches have clear biological rationale, where it can potentially achieve clinical proof-of-concept, and where it can introduce product candidates that can be meaningful differentiated in the market. Eliem expects to initiate Phase 2 clinical trials of TNT119 later this year.

TNT119 is an anti-CD19 antibody designed to achieve broad and deep depletion of pathogenic B-cells with a favorable tolerability profile and convenient dosing regimen with the potential for subcutaneous administration. Following the closing of the acquisition, Eliem?s strategy will be to develop TNT119 for a range of autoimmune-mediated diseases, where it believes CD19-targeted approaches have clear biological rationale, where it can potentially achieve clinical proof-of-concept, and where it can introduce product candidates that can be meaningfully differentiated in the market. TNT119?s lead indication is in systemic lupus erythematosus, the most common type of lupus and an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks its own tissue, causing widespread inflammation and tissue damage in affected organs including joints, skin, brain, lungs, kidneys and blood vessels.

In systemic lupus erythematosus, the underlying pathology involves the production of autoantibodies by autoreactive B cells and the formation of immune complexes that contribute to inflammation and tissue damage. CD19 is a protein expressed on the surface of these B cells, and it plays a role in B cell activation, proliferation and survival. TNT119 is designed to target and deplete CD19-expressing B cells known to produce autoantibodies, thereby providing a novel approach to the potential treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus.