Qu Biologics Begins Research with McMaster University to Study New Crohn's Disease Research Model

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Dec. 3, 2013) - Qu Biologics Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing Site Specific Immunomodulators (SSIs) that aim to stimulate the body's immune system against autoimmune disease and cancer, announced it is collaborating with McMaster University to study a new Crohn's disease research model.

The collaboration will study the effectiveness of Qu Biologics' Site Specific Immunomodulators (SSIs) to reduce intestinal inflammation in an animal model of chronic E. coli infection. The study will also determine which types of immune cells are associated with the resolution of inflammation. McMaster University Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair, Dr. Brian Coombes, a microbiology expert, will oversee the study. Dr. Coombes' recently published work in Nature Communications demonstrates that infection of mice with a strain of Crohn's associated adherent-invasive E. coli leads to the development of intestinal inflammation in the mice which closely resembles human Crohn's disease. His team is now using this research model as one which allows the study of Crohn's disease in a chronic state.

Dr. Hal Gunn, CEO of Qu Biologics, commented, "Dr. Brian Coombes' recent research is an important step towards understanding the root causes of Crohn's disease. We are pleased to be collaborating with Dr. Coombes' research team and studying the potential benefits of SSIs on Crohn's disease."

Dr. Brian Coombes stated, "We are very excited to be entering into collaborative work with Qu Biologics to study Site Specific Immunomodulators during chronic gut infections. Adherent-invasive E. coli is a Crohn's disease-associated bacteria that has been reproducibly linked to human disease in numerous studies. As evidence mounts for a microbial origin of Crohn's disease, understanding the immune response during chronic gut infections creates new opportunity for therapeutic interventions."

About Dr. Brian Coombes

Dr. Brian Coombes is Associate Professor and Associate Chair in the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. He is also the Assistant Dean, Graduate Education for the Faculty of Health Sciences. Dr. Coombes received his BSc in Biochemistry (1997) and his PhD in Medical Sciences (2002) from McMaster University. From 2002-2006 he was a CIHR and Michael Smith Foundation postdoctoral fellow at the University of British Columbia's Michael Smith Laboratories in the lab of Dr. Brett Finlay, a world leader in microbial pathogenesis. In 2006, he joined the Department of Biochemistry & Biomedical Sciences where he runs an active research program in infectious diseases linked to acute and chronic gut infections. He currently holds a Canada Research Chair in Infectious Disease Pathogenesis and is the past recipient of the CIHR New Investigator Award (2007-2011), the Scientific Merit Award from the Public Health Agency of Canada (2007) the Boehringer Ingelheim Young Investigator Award (2010), the Fisher Scientific Prize (2012) and was inducted into Canada's Top 40 Under 40 in 2010.

About Qu Biologics

Qu Biologics develops Site Specific Immunomodulators (SSI), a novel class of immunotherapies that aim to reboot the body's immune system. SSIs are designed to stimulate an immune response in targeted organs or tissues to potentially reverse the chronic inflammation underlying many conditions including cancer and autoimmune disease. The company recently launched a Phase 1/2 clinical trial to research SSI therapy for the treatment of Crohn's disease.

Backed by a prestigious group of scientific advisors and board members, Qu Biologics is led by a management team that includes co-founder and CEO, Dr. Hal Gunn, a physician and expert on the body's immune response to chronic disease; and Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Simon Sutcliffe, former CEO of the BC Cancer Agency and a distinguished clinician, scientist and leader in cancer control in Canada and internationally. For more information, visit www.qubiologics.com and www.qucrohnstrial.com.