The most severe form of DEB is recessive DEB, or RDEB, which is caused by null mutations in the COL7A1 gene. DEB also occurs in the form of dominant DEB, or DDEB, which is considered to be a milder form of DEB. There are no known treatments, which affect the outcome of either form of the disease, and the current standard of care for DEB patients is limited to palliative treatments. Krystal Biotech is developingKB-103 for the treatment of the broad DEB population, including both recessive and dominant forms of the disease.
About KB105
KB105 is Krystal Biotech’s second product candidate, currently in preclinical development and seeks to treat patients withTGM-1 deficient ARCI. There are currently no treatments for this disease which affects approximately 20,000 patients worldwide. KB105 is a replication-defective,non-integrating viral vector that has been engineered employing Krystal Biotech’sSTAR-D platform to deliver functionalTGM-1 gene directly to the patients’ dividing andnon-dividing skin cells.
About ARCI
TGM-1 is an essential epidermal enzyme that facilitates the formation of the epidermal barrier, which prevents dehydration, and protects the skin from unwanted toxins and surface microorganisms. The loss ofTGM-1-activity results in the severe genetic skin disease ARCI. Most patients with aTGM-1-deficiency exhibit life-long pronounced scaling with increased transepidermal water loss. The scales are plate-like, often of a dark color, and cover the whole-body surface area.TGM-1-deficient ARCI is associated with increased mortality in the neonatal period and has a dramatic impact on quality of life.
About theSTAR-D Gene Therapy Platform
Krystal has developed a proprietary gene therapy platform, the Skin TARgeted Delivery platform, orSTAR-D platform, that consists of an engineered viral vector and skin-optimized gene transfer technology, to developoff-the-shelf treatments for dermatological diseases. The company believes that theSTAR-D platform provides an optimal approach for treating dermatological conditions due to the nature of theHSV-1 viral vector it has created. Certain inherent features of theHSV-1 virus, combined with the ability to strategically modify the virus in the form employed as a gene delivery backbone, provide theSTAR-D platform with several advantages over other viral vector platforms for use in dermatological applications.
About Krystal Biotech
Krystal Biotech, Inc. (Nasdaq:KRYS) is a gene therapy company dedicated to developing and commercializing novel treatments for patients suffering from dermatological diseases. For more information, please visit http://www.krystalbio.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements and information, including, without limitation, statements regarding the development of the company’s product candidates, including KB103 and KB105, the company’s plans to file an IND for KB105 in 2018 and the company’s plans to develop a GMP manufacturing facility in 2018. The use of words such as “will,” “believe,” “plan,” “future,” and “expect,” and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. Forward-looking statements and information are based on Krystal Biotech’s current expectations and assumptions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, investors are cautioned that the forward-looking information and statements are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in