FELDAN THERAPEUTICS ANNOUNCES A PUBLICATION IN NATURE COMMUNICATIONS

Dr. Paul McCray
(University of Iowa) and Feldan Therapeutics enable protein and CRISPR nuclease
delivery to cultured human well-differentiated airway epithelial cells and in
vivo using the Feldan Shuttle technology. The results of this research pave the
way to the development of novel treatments for pulmonary diseases.

Quebec City, Canada, October 28, 2019 - In an article published in
Nature Communications, entitled "Engineered Amphiphilic Peptides Enable
Delivery of Proteins and CRISPR Associated Nucleases to Airway Epithelia” Dr. David
Guay, Research Director of Feldan Therapeutics, and collaborator Dr. Paul McCray, from the University
of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, demonstrate that Feldan’s engineered amphiphilic peptides
(Feldan Shuttles) allow
safe and efficient intracellular delivery of proteins to airway epithelia.

The authors declare: "The
delivery of biologic cargoes to airway epithelial cells is challenging due to
the formidable barriers imposed by its specialized and differentiated cells.
Among cargoes, recombinant proteins offer therapeutic promise but the lack of
effective delivery methods limits their development. Here, we achieve protein
and SpCas9 or AsCas12a ribonucleoprotein (RNP) delivery to cultured human
well-differentiated airway epithelial cells and mouse lungs with engineered
amphiphilic peptides (…). We observe no evidence of short-term toxicity with a
widespread distribution restricted to the respiratory tract." https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-12922-y

In the last few years, Feldan has worked closely with
Dr. McCray’s team on the delivery of proteins to airway cells and in vivo models, aiming to advance new
therapeutic avenues in the treatment of pulmonary diseases such as cystic
fibrosis, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Researchers
involved are experts in airway epithelial cells, pulmonary biology, lung
diseases, as well as recombinant protein production, delivery peptides and
CRISPR technology. In the context of that collaboration, 2018 was marked by the
announcement of a $4 million (USD) grant from the National Heart, Lung, and
Blood Institute (NHLBI) National Institutes of Health (NIH) to carry out a
five-year project using the Feldan Shuttles to deliver CRISPR nucleases to
airway epithelia. (https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/university-of-iowa-and-feldan-therapeutics-awarded-grant-by-the-national-institutes-of-health-697187691.html)

About Feldan:

Feldan Therapeutics has developed a
patented peptide-based technology platform, the Feldan Shuttle, which enables
safe and efficient intracellular delivery of biologics (peptides, proteins,
antibodies, RNPs). The company's mission is to make intracellular delivery the
future of medicine by developing leading-edge therapeutic applications based on
its proprietary platform.

About Dr. Paul McCray:

Paul McCray, MD, is a
professor at the University of Iowa, executive vice chair in the Stead Family
Department of Pediatrics and a gene therapy expert. His research interests
include airway epithelial cell biology, the pathogenesis and treatment of cystic
fibrosis, and the development of integrating vector systems for the treatment
of inherited diseases.