Ann: onCARlytics with ARTEMIS T cells show anti-tumour activity, page-62

Another report.

Imugene pre-clinical data demonstrates enhanced anti-tumour activity against liver cancers (*********.com.au)

Imugene pre-clinical data demonstrates enhancedanti-tumour activity against liver cancers

Clinical stage immuno-oncologycompany Imugene (ASX:IMU) has presented pre-clinical data at the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy’s annual meeting to demonstrate enhanced anti-tumour activity in vivo against hepatocellular liver cancers.

The abstract investigates thecombination of Imugene’s onCARlytics technology and Eureka Therapeutics’Artemis cell receptor platform in the most primary type of liver cancer andsixth most common cancer worldwide.

It showed that the combinationstrategy can be applied to otherwise target-less tumours such as hepatocellularcarcinoma (HCC) as well as a wide array of solid cancers as an effectiveimmunotherapy approach.

HCC occurs most often in people withchronic liver disease, such as cirrhosis caused by hepatitis B or hepatitis Cinfection.

Currently, there are few systemictherapies available for patients with advanced disease in addition totraditional treatments including ablation, surgical resection and livertransplantation.

Impressive outcomes

Imugene said the CD19-targetingchimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy had demonstrated “impressiveclinical outcomes” in blood cancers however translating the therapy tosolid-tumour cancers has met with various challenges including theimmunosuppressive microenvironment, on-target off-tumour toxicity and antigenheterogeneity.

To date, CAR-T cell therapies againstHCC have shown nominal efficacy in clinical trials and there is a proven needfor more novel and innovative therapeutic approaches.

Imugene’s onCARlytics in combinationwith Artemis T cells differentiate from CAR-T cells with lower CRS risks,better tumour infiltration and higher T cell persistence in pre-clinicalstudies, making them better cell therapy candidates for solid tumours.

Tax refund

In April, Imugene announced it hadreceived a $12.6 millionresearch and development tax refund from the Australian government which it will use to pursue ongoing development of its immuno-oncology therapies.

The portfolio comprises oncolyticvirotherapies (VAXINIA or CF33) and multiple B-cell vaccine candidates as wellas emerging technologies including onCARlytics (CF33-CD19) in combination withCAR-Ts, or bispecifc antibody targeting CD19 for solid tumours.

The therapies are designed to harnessa patient’s immune system to help it fight cancer.