Learnings will be used in the clinical development programs of NET-targeting therapies such as Citryll’s lead anti-inflammatory candidate CIT-013

Citryll, a clinical-stage biotech company developing first-in-class therapeutics to treat immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, announces a ground-breaking collaboration with leading rheumatology centres of excellence in the Netherlands funded by ReumaNederland (Dutch Arthritis Society). Citryll will work alongside Prof. Dr. Sander Tas, from Amsterdam University Medical Centre (AUMC), Dr. Joannes Reijers, from Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC), Dr. Rogier Thurlings, from Radboud University Medical Centre (RUMC), and Prof. Dr. Mike Nurmohamed, from Reade to further the understanding of Neutrophil Extracellular Trap (NET) biology and how it correlates to disease status and treatment outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

The project, called Signs Of the Nature of NETosis in rheumatoid arthritis (SONNET), will increase knowledge of the interplay between diseases and NETosis, a unique form of neutrophil cell death characterized by the formation of NETs, enabling the development of more efficacious personalized NET-targeting therapies. SONNET will explore different subsets of samples, correlating NETs to RA disease status and associated indications (cardiovascular disease), and detecting NETs in vivo.

Renato Chirivi, Ph.D., Chief Technology Officer at Citryll, commented: “Despite available therapies, 30% of RA patients still fail to achieve sustained remission. Citryll’s lead candidate, CIT-013, has a novel therapeutic approach for the potential treatment of inflammatory diseases through the inhibition of NET release and enhanced clearing of NETs in tissue. Working with leading clinical centres on the SONNET project will be crucial to increase our knowledge on how NETs drive inflammatory diseases. The overall aim is to unlock innovative treatment options for RA, allowing a better quality of life for patients.”

Jan-Willem Förch, CEO at ReumaNederland (Dutch Arthritis Society), said: “We are proud to support Citryll in this groundbreaking research collaboration with this consortium of renowned clinical centres whose research makes a difference in the lives of so many patients. Many people with rheumatoid arthritis live with constant pain and limitations in their every day life and this partnership will ensure increased knowledge in the role NETosis plays in inflammatory disease, bringing us a step closer to our mission to improve the lives of people living with the condition.”