OPX-212 is an autologous T-cell immunotherapy being developed for the treatment of Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO). NMO is an autoimmune disorder in which immune system cells and antibodies attack and destroy myelin cells in the optic nerves and the spinal cord leading to demyelination and loss of axons. There are currently no FDA-approved therapies for NMO.

OPX-212 is specifically tailored to each patient’s immune response to a protein, aquaporin-4, which is the targeted antigen in NMO. In NMO, the immune system recognizes aquaporin-4 as foreign, thus triggering the attack. OPX-212 has an hypothesized mechanism of action to reduce the number and/or regulate aquaporin-4 reactive T-cells (ARTCs), thereby reducing the frequency of clinical relapses and subsequent progression in disability.

OPX-212 will be manufactured using ImmPath®, Opexa Therapeutics’ proprietary method for the production of an autologous T-cell product, which comprises the collection of blood from the NMO patient and the expansion of ARTCs from the blood. Upon completion of the manufacturing process, ARTCs are formulated and attenuated by irradiation before returning the final product to the patient, with the express purpose of inducing a regulatory immune response to reduce the frequency and/or function of pathogenic ARTCs.