https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190401005089/en/

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 1, 2019--Codiak BioSciences, Inc., a leading exosome therapeutics company, today presented data supporting the therapeutic potential of the engEx TM Platform for engineering exosomes and its exoSTING product candidate as highlighted at the 2019 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting, held March 31 through April 3 in Atlanta, Georgia. Using its engEx Platform, Codiak engineers exosomes -- natural intercellular messengers -- to have precise and intentionally chosen properties, to incorporate various types of biologically active molecules, and to be directed to specific cell types and tissues. exoSTING is Codiak’s precision engineered exosome therapeutic candidate loaded with a potent small molecule STING (stimulator of interferon genes) agonist. Codiak is conducting IND-enabling studies of exoSTING and plans to begin a Phase 1/2 trial in the immuno-oncology setting during the first half of 2020.

exoSTING is one of Codiak’s lead exosome therapeutic candidates that specifically targets the STING pathway in antigen presenting cells (APCs). exoSTING has been evaluated in a variety of preclinical studies including syngeneic tumor models refractory to checkpoint therapy, the results of which were featured in a presentation during the meeting’s Cancer Vaccines and Intratumoral Immunomodulation Minisymposium. Key conclusions from the preclinical analysis highlight the unique profile of exoSTING to selectively activate the STING pathway in tumor-resident APCs, resulting in systemic anti-tumor immunity without toxic systemic cytokine elevation: