• Presentations highlight efzofitimod’s novel myeloid-cell focused mechanism and current Phase 3 EFZO-FIT™ study in pulmonary sarcoidosis.

SAN DIEGO, June 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- aTyr Pharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: LIFE), a clinical stage biotherapeutics company engaged in the discovery and development of first-in-class medicines from its proprietary tRNA synthetase platform, today announced that the company will present on its lead therapeutic candidate, efzofitimod, at the World Association for Sarcoidosis and Other Granulomatous Disorders (WASOG) Conference, which is scheduled to take place June 19 – 21, 2023, in Stockholm, Sweden.

“Efzofitimod is the most advanced investigational treatment in clinical development for sarcoidosis. With a novel myeloid-cell focused mechanism that downregulates inflammatory responses upstream of other targets, efzofitimod provides a differentiated approach to resolving inflammation and preventing the progression of fibrosis compared to existing treatments and others in development,” said Sanjay S. Shukla, M.D., M.S., President and CEO of aTyr. “The Phase 3 EFZO-FIT™ study, which is currently enrolling patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis in the U.S., Europe and Japan, is expected to be the largest interventional study in pulmonary sarcoidosis and represents an important step forward in developing a potential new treatment for patients with this debilitating disease.”

Details of the presentations appear below. The poster will be available on the aTyr website once presented.

Title: Efzofitimod: A New Myeloid-Cell Focused Mechanism to Downregulate Inflammatory Responses in Pulmonary Sarcoidosis
Format: Presentation
Presenter: Leslie A. Nangle, Ph.D.
Date and Time: Tuesday, June 20, 2023, at 11:55 a.m.

Title: EFZO-FIT™: A Phase 3 Study of Efzofitimod, a Novel Immunomodulator for the Treatment of Pulmonary Sarcoidosis
Format: Poster Presentation
Date and Time: Tuesday, June 20, 2023, at 3:14 p.m.

About Efzofitimod

aTyr is developing efzofitimod as a potential therapeutic for patients with fibrotic lung disease. Efzofitimod, a fusion protein comprised of the immunomodulatory domain of histidyl-tRNA synthetase fused to the FC region of a human antibody, is a selective modulator of neuropilin-2 that downregulates innate and adaptive immune response in inflammatory disease states. aTyr’s lead indication for efzofitimod is pulmonary sarcoidosis, a major form of interstitial lung disease. Clinical proof-of-concept for efzofitimod was recently established in a Phase 1b/2a multiple-ascending dose, placebo-controlled study of efzofitimod in patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis, which demonstrated safety and a consistent dose response and trends of benefit of efzofitimod compared to placebo on key efficacy endpoints, including steroid reduction, lung function, clinical symptoms and inflammatory biomarkers. aTyr is currently conducting EFZO-FIT™, a global pivotal Phase 3 study of efzofitimod in pulmonary sarcoidosis.

About aTyr

aTyr is a biotherapeutics company engaged in the discovery and development of first-in-class medicines from its proprietary tRNA synthetase platform. aTyr’s research and development efforts are concentrated on a newly discovered area of biology, the extracellular functionality and signaling pathways of tRNA synthetases. aTyr has built a global intellectual property estate directed to a potential pipeline of protein compositions derived from 20 tRNA synthetase genes and their extracellular targets. aTyr’s primary focus is efzofitimod, a clinical-stage product candidate which binds to the neuropilin-2 receptor and is designed to downregulate immune engagement in fibrotic lung disease. For more information, please visit www.atyrpharma.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are usually identified by the use of words such as “believes,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “plans,” “forward,” “potential,” “will,” and variations of such words or similar expressions. We intend these forward-looking statements to be covered by such safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements and are making this statement for purposes of complying with those safe harbor provisions. These forward-looking statements include, among others, statements regarding the potential of efzofitimod to provide a differentiated approach to resolving inflammation and preventing the progression of fibrosis, and the potential applications of efzofitimod. These forward-looking statements also reflect our current views about our plans, intentions, expectations, strategies and prospects, which are based on the information currently available to us and on assumptions we have made. Although we believe that our plans, intentions, expectations, strategies and prospects, as reflected in or suggested by these forward-looking statements, are reasonable, we can give no assurance that the plans, intentions, expectations or strategies will be attained or achieved. All forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions by our management that, although we believe to be reasonable, are inherently uncertain. Furthermore, actual results may differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements and will be affected by a variety of risks and factors that are beyond our control including, without limitation, uncertainty regarding geopolitical and macroeconomic events, risks associated with the discovery, development and regulation of our product candidates, the risk that we or our partners may cease or delay preclinical or clinical development activities for any of our existing or future product candidates for a variety of reasons (including difficulties or delays in patient enrollment in planned clinical trials), the possibility that existing collaborations could be terminated early, and the risk that we may not be able to raise the additional funding required for our business and product development plans, as well as those risks set forth in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and in our subsequent SEC filings. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Contact:
Ashlee Dunston
Director, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications
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