NEW YORK, Jan. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Tourmaline Bio, Inc. (Tourmaline) (NASDAQ: TRML), a late-stage clinical biotechnology company developing transformative medicines to dramatically improve the lives of patients with life-altering immune and inflammatory diseases, today announced that Paul M. Ridker, MD, MPH, Eugene Braunwald Professor of Medicine at the Harvard Medical School and Director of the Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, has joined Tourmaline’s Cardiovascular Scientific Advisory Board (CV SAB).
“We are beyond honored to welcome Dr. Ridker, a luminary in the field who has helped to fundamentally transform our understanding of cardiovascular disease,” said Sandeep Kulkarni, MD, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Tourmaline. “Dr. Ridker’s many contributions to cardiovascular disease research cannot be overstated. His work over decades has illuminated the critical role of inflammation in atherosclerosis, as well as the potential therapeutic benefit of directly addressing inflammation to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events. We are thrilled to have his invaluable strategic guidance as we await the results from our Phase 2 TRANQUILITY trial and prepare for the expected future development of pacibekitug to reduce inflammation in cardiovascular diseases.”
Over a 30-year period, Dr. Ridker has led a paradigm shift in the understanding of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), highlighting the critical importance of inflammation, and in doing so, has impacted international guidelines for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of ASCVD. He and his collaborators provided the first FDA-approved diagnostic test for vascular inflammation (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, or hs-CRP); the first demonstration that statin therapy is both lipid-lowering and anti-inflammatory; and the first proof-of-principle for the inflammation hypothesis of atherothrombosis in humans, in addition to bringing into clinical practice worldwide the concept of “residual inflammatory risk.” As a direct result of his work, multiple novel anti-inflammatory agents targeting interrelated aspects of heart disease ranging from chronic ASCVD to acute myocardial ischemia to heart failure are under development worldwide.
Dr. Ridker, a Distinguished Scientist of the American Heart Association and an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine, is known for his leadership of over 15 major, multi-national, randomized clinical trials. He has received continuous funding from the National Institutes of Health and is the recipient of multiple honorary degrees and international awards.
“Dr. Ridker is a world-renowned pioneer in inflammation and cardiovascular disease whose ground-breaking work bridges population science, translational research, and clinical trials,” said Emil deGoma, MD, Senior Vice President of Medical Research at Tourmaline. “We are grateful to have his expert guidance as we advance development of pacibekitug for the treatment of patients with cardiovascular disease driven by residual inflammatory risk. Research he has led for decades, including prospective cohort studies of hs-CRP and the landmark CANTOS IL-1β inhibition trial, provides foundational evidence to support the therapeutic potential of IL-6 inhibition, which is currently being tested in multiple cardiovascular outcome trials.”
About Tourmaline Bio
Tourmaline is a late-stage clinical biotechnology company driven by its mission to develop transformative medicines that dramatically improve the lives of patients with life-altering immune and inflammatory diseases. Tourmaline’s lead asset is pacibekitug (also referred to as TOUR006). For more information about Tourmaline and pacibekitug, please visit https://www.tourmalinebio.com or follow us on LinkedIn or X.
About Pacibekitug
Pacibekitug (also referred to as TOUR006) is a long-acting, fully-human, anti-IL-6 monoclonal antibody with best-in-class potential and differentiated properties including a naturally long half-life, low immunogenicity, and high binding affinity to IL-6. Pacibekitug has been previously studied in approximately 450 participants, including patients with autoimmune disorders, across six completed clinical trials. Tourmaline is currently developing pacibekitug in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and thyroid eye disease (TED) as its first two indications, with plans to expand into abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and additional diseases in the future.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Any statements contained in this press release that do not describe historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may be identified by words and phrases such as “believe,” “designed to,” “expect,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “will” and similar expressions, and are based on Tourmaline’s current beliefs and expectations. These forward-looking statements include expectations regarding the development and potential therapeutic benefits of pacibekitug; the timing of initiation, progress and results of Tourmaline’s current and future clinical trials for pacibekitug, including reporting of data therefrom; the timing of Phase 3 clinical trial readiness; and the timing and potential to expand pacibekitug into additional indications. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in such statements. Risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially include uncertainties inherent in the development of therapeutic product candidates, such as the risk that any one or more of Tourmaline’s current or future product candidates will not be successfully developed or commercialized; the risk of delay or cessation of any planned clinical trials of Tourmaline’s current or future product candidates; the risk that prior results, such as signals of safety, activity or durability of effect, observed from preclinical trials, will not be replicated or will not continue in ongoing or future studies or clinical trials involving Tourmaline’s current or future product candidates; the risk that Tourmaline’s current or future product candidates or procedures in connection with the administration thereof will not have the safety or efficacy profile that Tourmaline anticipates; risks regarding the accuracy of Tourmaline’s estimates of expenses, capital requirements and needs for additional financing; changes in expected or existing competition; changes in the regulatory environment; the uncertainties and timing of the regulatory approval process; unexpected litigation or other disputes; the impacts of macroeconomic conditions Tourmaline’s business, clinical trials and financial position; and other risks and uncertainties that are described in Tourmaline’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on November 7 2024 and other filings that Tourmaline makes with the SEC from time to time. Any forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release and are based on information available to Tourmaline as of the date hereof, and Tourmaline assumes no obligation to, and does not intend to, update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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