Pioneering the Next Generation of Cell Therapies

Reimagining T cell engineering

A therapeutic pipeline targeting unmet clinical needs

About Us

Vittoria Biotherapeutics, Inc. (viTToria) is a leading edge, gene-edited cell therapeutics company with novel platform technology developed in the laboratory of Dr. Marco Ruella, M.D. and exclusively licensed from the University of Pennsylvania.

viTToria’s Mission is to deliver next-generation, paradigm-shifting T-cell therapies that address unmet medical needs.
 
viTToria’s Senza5™ Technology improves efficacy, enhances safety, and expands the utility of cell-based therapeutics in preclinical models.
 
viTToria’s Lead Program (viTT-001) is in advanced preclinical development and is expected to be in the clinic with first-in-human, proof-of-concept data in 2023.
 
viTToria’s Academic Founder, Dr. Marco Ruella, M.D. is a physician-scientist at Penn Medicine’s Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, an international center of excellence that pioneered the field of Chimeric Antigen Receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapeutics.

Senza5™ Platform Technology

Senza5™ Technology is a first-in-class, modular, platform technology that enhances the performance and safety of next generation T cell therapies.

Utilizing novel cell engineering technologies, Senza5™ T cells exploit the immuno-modulatory properties of an endogenous T cell signaling pathway to augment effector function and improve therapeutic outcomes.

Senza5™ T cells demonstrate SUPERIOR ANTI-TUMOR EFFICACY in both liquid and solid tumor animal models compared to contemporary cell therapies. Senza5™ engineered T cells also exhibit superior expansion and proliferative properties, reduced terminal differentiation, and enhanced effector phenotypes in both in-vitro and in-vivo experimental models.

Additionally, the inherent properties of Senza5™ T cells can improve patient outcomes by lowering dosing requirements, easing preconditioning regimens, reducing manufacturing failures, shortening vein-to-vein times, and by significantly enhancing the overall clinical utility of engineered T cell therapies.

Pioneering the Next Generation
of Cellular Therapies

Issues with targeting T cell neoplasms with CART immunotherapy

viTT-001 Next Generation Approach

Address Unmet Clinical Need

viTToria's Clinical Pipeline is focused on novel indications with significant unmet clinical need and/or indications where current advanced therapies are either unavailable or cause extensive off target toxicity.

Enhance Efficacy

viTToria's Cellular Therapies leverage leading-edge gene editing and engineering technologies to generate T Cell therapies with superior effector and safety profiles.

Benefits include:

  • Increased anti-tumor efficacy
  • Improved antigen sensitivity
  • Reduced terminal differentiation
  • Increased expansion & persistence
 
 

Improve Safety

viTToria's Scientific Approach incorporates proprietary dual cell technologies, novel antigenic targeting, shorter manufacturing protocols, and lower dosing requirements to improve the safety profile of T cell therapies.

The approach aims to:

  • Reduce or eliminate on-target, off-tumor toxicity
  • Address non-malignant cell aplasia
  • Reduce manufacturing failures
  • Improve vein-to-vein time

Lead Program: Focus on T Cell Lymphomas

Our lead program (viTT-001) addresses the significant unmet therapeutic need for treatment of T Cell Lymphomas.

T cell lymphomas are not curable for the majority of patients 

  • >25 different subtypes of mature NK/T cell neoplasms
  • Qualifies as “Rare Disease” by FDA criteria (<200,000 people with the diagnosis in the US)
  • Disease-free survival for most subtypes is <50%
    Up to 1/3 of patients are refractory to their initial treatment
  • Response rates in the relapsed or refractory setting are 25-40% with <20% of complete responses
  • Median progression-free survival and overall survival is 3-6 months and 6-12 months respectively
  • There has been no significant change in outcomes in the last 2 decades
  • Aggressive blood cancer with poor prognosis
  • Orphan Drug Destination eligible with 10,000 new cases annually
  • Lower barrier to entry for autologous therapy due to patients being referred to major health centers
  • Dual Benefit of Therapeutic: Senza5™  CAR-T to specifically target and kill T cell neoplasms while CD% KO T cells reconstitute patient T cell compartment

Overall Survival by the Time of Progression / Relapse

Probability of progression-free survival

Citation: Chihara D et al. Br J Haematol. 2017;176:750-758

Team

nicholas siciliano

Nicholas Siciliano, Ph.D.

Chief Executive Officer

preston noon

Preston Noon, Pharm.D., M.B.A.

Interim Chief Operating Officer

adam snook

Adam Snook, Ph.D.

Sr. Scientific Advisor, R&D

Aditya Nimmagadda

Aditya Nimmagadda, P.M.P

Sr. Director, CMC

lori forrest

Lori Forrest, C.P.A.

Sr. Controller

steven yang

Steven Yang, M.D., Ph.D

Director, Lab Operations

Dean Qian

Dean Qian, MS

Research Scientist

Daniela Amadio

Daniela Amadio, B.A.

Administrative Assistant

Board of Directors

Bruce Peacock

Bruce Peacock

Chairman

nicholas siciliano

Nicholas Siciliano, Ph.D.

CEO & Director

geeta vemuri

Geeta Vemuri, Ph.D., M.B.A.

Director

lonnie moulder

Lonnie Moulder, M.B.A.

Director

nicholas siciliano

Nicholas Siciliano, Ph.D.

CEO & Director

lonnie moulder

Lonnie Moulder, M.B.A.

Director

Scientific Advisors & External Advisory Board

Ruella Marco

Dr. Marco Ruella, M.D.

Co-Founder & SAB Chair

carl june

Dr. Carl June, M.D.

Scientific Advisor

michael kalos

Dr. Michael Kalos, Ph.D.

Scientific Advisor

Jian irish

Dr. Jian Irish, Ph.D.

Scientific Advisor

stephen schuster

Dr. Stephen Schuster, M.D.

Scientific Advisor

stefano pileri

Dr. Stefano Pileri, M.D., Ph.D.

Scientific Advisor

stefan barta

Dr. Stefan Barta, M.D.

Principal Investigator, Clinical Trial