Celyad to Present Update from CYAD-101 for Advanced Colorectal Cancer and Next-Generation shRNA Platform at 2020 ASCO Virtual Scientific Program

• Two accepted abstracts will be presented virtually in a prerecorded poster presentation
  

MONT-SAINT-GUIBERT, Belgium, April 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Celyad ((Euronext Brussels and Paris, NASDAQ:CYAD), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of CAR-T cell therapies, today announced that two abstracts have been accepted for poster presentation at the 2020 American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Virtual Scientific Program, which will be held from May 29-31, 2020. The first poster will focus on CYAD-101, the company's first-in-class, non-gene edited, allogeneic CAR-T program for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer, while the second poster will highlight the company's next-generation, short-hairpin RNA (shRNA) technology platform used in the company's CYAD-200 series of allogeneic CAR-T product candidates.  

Filippo Petti, chief executive officer of Celyad, noted, "We're excited to be sharing an update at the upcoming ASCO Annual Meeting on our industry-leading allogeneic CAR-T candidate CYAD-101 for the treatment of solid tumors, as well as providing an important update on progress with our next-generation shRNA platform, which allows for knockdown of multiple genes without the use of gene-editing in a single CAR-T construct."

The abstracts published today will be available on May 13 on ASCO's website. Following presentation at the meeting, the posters will be available on Celyad's website.

About CYAD-101

CYAD-101 is an investigational, non-gene edited, allogeneic (healthy donor derived) CAR-T therapy engineered to co-express a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) based on NKG2D, a receptor expressed on natural killer (NK) cells that binds to eight stress-induced ligands and the novel inhibitory peptide TIM (T cell receptor (TCR) Inhibitory Molecule). The expression of TIM reduces signaling of the TCR complex, which is responsible for graft-versus host disease (GvHD).

About shRNA Platform and CYAD-200 Series

The Company is focused on the development of its proprietary non-gene edited allogeneic short hairpin RNA (shRNA) SMARTvector technology platform through the CYAD-200 series of product candidates. The Company is currently evaluating several shRNA-based allogeneic CAR-T candidates, including CYAD-211, an allogeneic CAR-T therapy targeting B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) for the treatment of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.

About Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer is the third most common type of cancer among both men and women worldwide and is the fourth most common in terms of mortality. In 2018, approximately 1.8 million people were diagnosed with colorectal cancer, with about 140,000 and 500,000 diagnoses in the United States and Europe, respectively. According to data from ASCO, approximately 40% of patients are diagnosed with early-stage, localized-stage disease. The five-year survival rate of localized disease is approximately 90%. In patients where the cancer has spread to distant parts of the body, as in metastatic colorectal cancer, the five-year survival rate drops to approximately 15%.

About Celyad

Celyad is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of specialized CAR-T cell-based product candidates and utilizes its expertise in cell engineering to target cancer. Celyad's CAR-T cell platform has the potential to treat a broad range of solid and hematologic tumors. The company's lead clinical candidate, CYAD-01, an autologous NKG2D-based CAR-T therapy, is currently being evaluated in several Phase 1 clinical trials to assess safety and clinical activity for the treatment of hematological malignancies, such as acute myeloid leukemia, and solid cancers, such as metastatic colorectal cancer. Celyad is also developing CYAD-101, an investigational, non-gene edited, allogeneic (donor derived) NKG2D-based CAR-T therapy, which is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1 trial for the treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Celyad was founded in 2007 and is based in Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium, and New York, NY. Celyad's ordinary shares are listed on the Euronext Brussels and Euronext Paris exchanges, and its American Depository Shares are listed on the Nasdaq Global Market, all under the ticker symbol CYAD.

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Forward-looking statements

This release may contain forward-looking statements, including statements regarding: the safety and clinical activity of CYAD-01, CYAD-02, CYAD-100 Series and CYAD-200 Series; statements regarding the ongoing and planned clinical development of CYAD-01, CYAD-02, CYAD-100 Series and CYAD-200 Series, including the timing of trials, enrolment, data readouts and presentations; the clinical and commercial potential of CYAD-01, CYAD-02, CYAD-100 Series and CYAD-200 Series; the success of the  OptimAb manufacturing system; the ongoing and planned clinical and commercial potential and development of Celyad's shRNA technology; Celyad's financial condition, results of operation and business outlook. Forward-looking statements may involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which might cause actual results, financial condition and liquidity, performance or achievements of Celyad, or industry results, to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In particular it should be noted that the data summarized above are preliminary in nature. There is limited data concerning safety and clinical activity following treatment with the CYAD-01, CYAD-02, CYAD-100 Series and CYAD-200 Series product candidates. These results may not be repeated or observed in ongoing or future studies involving the CYAD-01, CYAD-02, CYAD-100 Series and CYAD-200 Series drug product candidates. These forward-looking statements are further qualified by important factors and risks, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, including statements about: the initiation, timing, progress and results of our preclinical studies and clinical trials, and our research and development programs; our ability to advance drug product candidates into, and successfully complete, clinical trials; our ability to successfully manufacture drug product for our clinical trials, including with our OptimAb manufacturing process and with respect to manufacturing drug product with the desired number of T cells under our clinical trial protocols; our reliance on the success of our drug product candidates, including our dependence on the regulatory approval of CYAD-01, CYAD-02, CYAD-100 Series and CYAD-200 Series in the United States and Europe and subsequent commercial success of CYAD-01, CYAD-02, CYAD-100 Series and CYAD-200 Series, both of which may never occur; the timing or likelihood of regulatory filings and approvals; our ability to develop sales and marketing capabilities; the commercialization of our drug product candidates, if approved; the pricing and reimbursement of our drug product candidates, if approved; the implementation of our business model, strategic plans for our business, drug product candidates and technology; the scope of protection we are able to establish and maintain for intellectual property rights covering our drug product candidates and technology; our ability to operate our business without infringing, misappropriating or otherwise violating the intellectual property rights and proprietary technology of third parties; cost associated with enforcing or defending intellectual property infringement, misappropriation or violation; product liability; and other claims; regulatory development in the United States, the European Union, and other jurisdictions; estimates of our expenses, future revenues, capital requirements and our needs for additional financing; the potential benefits of strategic collaboration agreements and our ability to maintain and enter into strategic arrangements; our ability to maintain and establish collaborations or obtain additional grant funding; the rate and degree of market acceptance of our drug product candidates, if approved; our financial performance; developments relating to our competitors and our industry, including competing product candidates and statements regarding future revenue, hiring plans, expenses, capital expenditures, capital requirements and share performance and the impact of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, including potential effects on our business, clinical trials, supply chain and manufacturing capabilities. A further list and description of these risks, uncertainties and other risks can be found in Celyad's U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings and reports, including in its Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC on March 25, 2020 and subsequent filings and reports by Celyad. Given these uncertainties, the reader is advised not to place any undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of publication of this document and Celyad's actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Celyad expressly disclaims any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements in this document to reflect any change in its expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, unless required by law or regulation.