What Cimeio Therapeutics does

Cimeio Therapeutics is a development-stage biotechnology company founded in April 2022 by Versant Ventures and University of Basel researchers to develop curative cell therapies for genetic diseases, hematologic malignancies, and severe autoimmune disorders. The company operates from Basel, Switzerland (Cimeio Therapeutics AG) and Cambridge, Massachusetts (Cimeio Therapeutics, Inc.), with a headcount of 11-50 employees and no commercial products. Its stated mission is to overcome two limitations of current cell therapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: the inability to selectively eliminate diseased cells without harming healthy tissue, and the lack of safe post-transplant treatment options.

The company's core technology is the Shielded-Cell & Immunotherapy Pairs™ platform, which combines epitope-shielding gene editing with paired targeted immunotherapies. Using adenine base editors (ABE8e-SpRY), Cimeio introduces single amino acid substitutions into cell surface receptors such as CD45, CD33, and CD52, preserving receptor function while preventing binding by the paired antibody, ADC, T-cell engager, or CAR-T. The lead candidate is CIM053-SG3376, a CD45-targeting antibody-drug conjugate carrying a pyrrolobenzodiazepine (PBD) dimer payload developed with ADC Therapeutics; preclinical data published in Nature (May 2024) demonstrated complete depletion of leukemic cells with preserved long-term reconstituting HSCs in AML models. The platform is also applied to CD33 (base-edited HSPCs shielded from CD33-targeted therapy) and CD52 (shielding preserving Alemtuzumab-relevant 'don't eat me' function).

Cimeio is pre-revenue and does not commercialize products directly. Its business model is built on licensing and strategic collaborations with larger pharmaceutical partners for clinical development and commercialization. The December 2024 Kyowa Kirin collaboration, worth up to US$300 million including an upfront payment, milestone payments, and two years of committed funding, exemplifies this strategy. Additional partners include Versant Ventures (Series A lead investor), the University of Basel (academic co-founding partner), ADC Therapeutics (payload technology), and Ridgeline Discovery (recombinant protein production). Customers in the traditional sense are not yet served directly; the company ultimately targets patients with hematologic malignancies and autoimmune disorders via its partners.

Name

Cimeio Therapeutics

Legal name

Cimeio Therapeutics, Inc.

Website

https://cimeio.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cimeio Therapeutics is a development-stage biotech developing curative cell therapies for hematologic malignancies and autoimmune disorders using its Shielded-Cell & Immunotherapy Pairs platform, which combines epitope-shielded healthy cells with paired targeted immunotherapies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cell Therapy / Biopharmaceuticals (Hematology)

NAICS

Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414)

SIC

Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)

akta.pro primary industry

Cell Therapy Enabling Technologies (gene editing, cell engineering, delivery methods) (HLAAABAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Stem Cell Therapies (MSC/iPSC/HSC-derived) (HLAAABAE), Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs) & Antibody Conjugates (HLAAAAAE)

Keywords

• Cell therapy
• Gene editing
• Immunotherapy
• Hematopoietic stem cell
• Epitope shielding

Headquarters

HQ city

Basel

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Collaboration and Licensing Revenue: Pre-revenue development stage biotech company generating income through strategic collaborations with pharmaceutical partners. Received US$300 million collaboration with Kyowa Kirin including upfront payments and potential milestone payments for developing cell therapies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cimeio Therapeutics develops curative cell therapies for genetic diseases, hematologic malignancies, and severe autoimmune disorders using its proprietary Shielded-Cell & Immunotherapy Pairs™ platform. The platform pairs gene-edited, shielded healthy cells (e.g., hematopoietic stem cells) with targeted immunotherapies (such as the CD45-targeting ADC CIM053-SG3376) so that the immunotherapy selectively eliminates diseased cells while leaving shielded healthy cells intact. Lead programs include CD45-ADC plus shielded HSCs for blood cancers and CD33-shielded HSPCs for acute myeloid leukemia.

Product overview

Cimeio Therapeutics is a biotechnology company developing cell therapies for hematologic disorders using its proprietary Shielded Cell & Immunotherapy Pairs™ platform. The platform combines cell-shielding technology (which uses gene editing to protect healthy cells from immunotherapy) with paired immunotherapies to selectively deplete diseased cells. Key programs include CD45-targeting ADC (CIM053-SG3376) for blood cancers and CD33-targeting base editing for AML. The company leverages base editing technology to install molecular shields in hematopoietic stem cells, enabling targeted therapy without harming healthy cells.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Shielded Cell & Immunotherapy Pairs™ Proprietary therapeutic platform combining cell-shielding technology with paired immunotherapies to develop curative therapies for patients with hematologic disorders; the immunotherapies deplete diseased cells while cell-shielding protects healthy cells. Targeted at pharmaceutical partners and ultimately patients with blood cancers and severe autoimmune disorders.
• Cell Shielding Technology Gene editing capability that inserts novel protein variants into HSCs or other cell types so that cells retain their function while becoming resistant to depletion by paired immunotherapies; proven effective against antibodies, T-cell engagers, ADCs, and CAR-T cells. Licensed and developed in partnership with pharma collaborators.
• CD45-Targeting ADC (CIM053-SG3376) Antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeting the pan-hematopoietic marker CD45, using a pyrrolobenzodiazepine (PBD) dimer payload (SG3376) and a non-cleavable linker; enables antigen-specific depletion of the entire hematopoietic system, including leukemic cells. When paired with shielded HSCs, enables selective cancer eradication with preserved hematopoiesis. Developed in partnership with ADC Therapeutics.
• CD33-Targeting Base Editing Technology Base-edited hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) that are shielded from CD33-targeted therapy while preserving CD33 expression and function, using adenine base editor ABE8e for targeted A-to-G changes; supports AML-targeted cell therapy programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Selective tumor eradication with preserved hematopoiesis in preclinical AML models
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Kyowa KirincoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 December 2024Strategic collaboration worth up to US$300 million to develop cell therapies for difficult-to-treat conditions. Collaboration leverages Cimeio's novel epitope shielding and immunotherapy discovery expertise. Cimeio is eligible to receive an upfront payment and two years of continued support.
• University of BaselcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founding research institution with ongoing sponsored research collaboration. Multiple Cimeio founders and researchers hold positions at the University of Basel Department of Biomedicine and Basel University Hospital.
• ADC TherapeuticsmajorTechnology or IntegrationCollaboration with ADC Therapeutics (UK) for development of CD45-targeting antibody-drug conjugate CIM053. ADC Therapeutics provided the PBD dimer payload SG3376 and expertise in ADC development for the CIM053-SG3376 therapeutic candidate.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Allogene Therapeutics: Allogene Therapeutics is a clinical-stage leader in allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy, developing off-the-shelf cell therapies for hematologic malignancies. It represents a broader cell therapy incumbent whose platform competes for the same patients Cimeio's shielded HSC + immunotherapy approach targets.
• CRISPR Therapeutics: CRISPR Therapeutics is a clinical-stage gene editing leader developing CRISPR/Cas9-based therapies including ex vivo cell therapies for hematologic cancers (e.g., CASGEVY). It represents an established incumbent in the gene editing cell therapy space where Cimeio operates.
• Editas Medicine: Editas Medicine is a clinical-stage gene editing company developing CRISPR-based therapies for hematologic diseases and other indications. It operates as a broad incumbent in the gene editing space with overlapping technology approaches to Cimeio's base editing platform.
• Intellia Therapeutics: Intellia Therapeutics is a leading in vivo gene editing company developing CRISPR-based therapies. It competes in the broader gene editing therapeutics market and represents an established player with capabilities that could eventually extend into cell therapy applications similar to Cimeio's.

Emerging players

• Cellectis: Cellectis is a clinical-stage gene editing and cell therapy company developing allogeneic CAR-T candidates using TALEN gene editing. Its gene editing approach to cell therapy overlaps with Cimeio's gene editing-based cell shielding technology, though Cellectis focuses on effector cell engineering.
• Precision BioSciences: Precision BioSciences is a clinical-stage gene editing company using its proprietary ARCUS platform for both in vivo gene editing and ex vivo cell therapy applications. It competes in the gene editing cell therapy space with overlapping technology approaches to Cimeio's platform.
• Magenta Therapeutics: Magenta Therapeutics is developing antibody-drug conjugates for conditioning prior to stem cell transplant, an approach conceptually aligned with Cimeio's CD45 ADC for hematopoietic depletion. Both companies target the HSCT conditioning space with novel targeted approaches.

Direct peers

• ADC Therapeutics: ADC Therapeutics is a commercial-stage biotech developing antibody-drug conjugates including pyrrolobenzodiazepine-based payloads. It is both a direct technology partner with Cimeio (providing PBD payload for CIM053-SG3376) and a peer in the hematologic cancer ADC space.
• Beam Therapeutics: Beam Therapeutics is a leader in base editing technology, the same gene editing modality Cimeio uses for its shielding approach. Beam's larger platform and capital base make it a direct competitor in the base-editing-for-cell-therapy space, with overlapping technology and applications in hematologic diseases.
• Vor BioPharma: Vor BioPharma is developing engineered hematopoietic stem cell transplants paired with targeted therapies, using a similar concept of shielding healthy HSCs while targeting diseased cells. Vor's platform is the most direct conceptual competitor to Cimeio's Shielded-Cell approach in hematologic malignancies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cimeio-therapeutics

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cimeio Therapeutics