Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAPP

Ring Therapeutics is revolutionizing the genetic medicines and nucleic acid medicine space by harnessing the most abundant and diverse member of the human commensal virome, anelloviruses. The company developed the Anellogyâ„¢ platform, which focuses on anelloviruses to potentially treat a broad range of diseases. Through harnessing the unique properties of these commensal viruses, the Anellogy platform generates diverse vectors that exhibit both tissue-specific tropism and the potential to be redosed. Ring aims to develop and further expand its portfolio by leveraging its platform to unlock the full potential of gene therapy and nucleic acid medicines, enabling a variety of mechanisms that successfully deliver therapeutic cargo to unreachable organs and tissues.

Origins

The human commensal virome is a collection of recently uncovered DNA sequences of viral origin that exist as episomal DNA, alongside the 23 chromosomes of the human genome. This human extrachromosomal genome is intrinsic to human biology; highly prevalent in the population, ubiquitous throughout the body, persistent and non-pathogenic. Current viral gene therapy platforms (such as adeno-associated virus) may be ineffective in some patients because they often induce a strong immune response that prevents administration and redosing. Ring has discovered thousands of commensal viruses throughout the human body that coexist with our immune system. The company plans to use here viruses to generate a wide array of tissue-targeted, redosable vectors for gene therapy, exponentially expanding the boundaries of DNA therapeutics.

"With Ring, we are truly forging new ground by pioneering an entirely new category of gene therapy based on nature," says Noubar Afeyan, Ph.D., founder and CEO of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAPP, and co-founder and chairman of Ring Therapeutics.

Anellovectorâ„¢ Platform: A Pioneering Platform

Led by Ring’s founding CEO and Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAPP Partner Avak Kahvejian, Ph.D., and founding head of innovation and Flagship Senior Associate Erica Weinstein, Ph.D., a team of entrepreneurial scientists discovered thousands of anelloviruses in a diverse set of tissues, and uncovered their unique biology. With this understanding, Ring is developing Anellovector therapeutics that leverage the inherent properties of the commensal virome to address significant unmet medical needs.

"We believe that Anellovector therapeutics represent the future of gene therapy and more broadly DNA medicines," says Avak Kahvejian, Ph.D., partner at Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAPP and founding CEO of Ring Therapeutics. "The underlying biology of the commensal virome, its diversity, and the fact that it has co-evolved with us over millennia, gives us a revolutionary new insight from which we can develop safe and efficacious medicines using our proprietary platform."

Over two years, Ring has put together a discovery and development platform and is now building a rich portfolio of therapeutic candidates that take advantage of the ability of Anellovector therapeutics to (i) overcome pre-existing immunological barriers, (ii) target sites of disease with cellular and tissue specificity, and (iii) redose patients as required. The company is targeting several therapeutic areas – including genetic disorders, ophthalmology, oncology, metabolic disorders, hematology, CNS disorders, and inflammatory diseases.