ImmunoGenesis Doses First Patient in Phase 1a/1b Clinical Trial of IMGS-001 in Relapsed or Refractory Advanced Solid Tumors

On September 28, 2023 ImmunoGenesis, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing science-driven immunotherapies, reported the first patient has been dosed in the company’s Phase 1a/1b clinical trial of its lead candidate, IMGS-001, at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas (Press release, ImmunoGenesis, SEP 28, 2023, View Source [SID1234635509]). IMGS-001 is a dual-specific programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1)/programmed cell death 1 ligand 2 (PD-L2) antibody engineered with cytotoxic function designed to treat cold, immune-excluded tumors, which are resistant to existing immunotherapy.

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The Phase 1a/1b first-in-human, open-label, multicenter study (NCT06014502) consists of a dose escalation and expansion portion to evaluate the safety, pharmacokinetics and preliminary anti-tumor activity of IMGS-001 in adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors refractory to standard-of-care treatment. Anticipated tumor types in the dose escalation portion of the study include ovarian, colorectal and triple-negative breast cancer.

"Many tumors are not responsive to the current immunotherapies, representing a significant unmet need," said ImmunoGenesis President and CEO James Barlow. "Our vision is to unlock the potential of immunotherapy for a broader group of patients by targeting key mechanisms of immune resistance. We believe that this study will deliver initial proof of concept for our groundbreaking multitasking approach of using a single molecule to address immunosuppression and PD-1 pathway blockade."

"PD-L1 and PD-L2 are widely expressed not only on various tumors but also on immunosuppressive cells in the tumor microenvironment," said ImmunoGenesis Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jeremy Barton. "IMGS-001 is designed to remove these immunosuppressive cells and potentially improve PD-1 pathway blockade. This Phase 1a/1b clinical trial is an important first step towards validating this approach as potentially effective in treating cold, immune-excluded cancers."

About IMGS-001, a PD-L1/PD-L2 Dual-Specific Inhibitor
IMGS-001, the lead program at ImmunoGenesis, is a PD-L1/PD-L2 dual-specific monoclonal antibody with engineered cytotoxic effector function. IMGS-001 is the first molecule in clinical testing to target PD-L2 in addition to PD-L1, potentially improving blockade of the PD-1 pathway. The engineered effector function may enable IMGS-001 to eliminate immunosuppressive PD-L1- and/or PD-L2-expressing cells present in the tumor microenvironment, providing the potential to overcome immune resistance in immune-excluded tumors. Preclinical data showed that IMGS-001 drove higher response rates in head-to-head studies compared to currently available immunotherapies. IMGS-001 may provide a new foundational therapy with its innovative multitasking mechanism of superior blockade and cytotoxic effector function. This work was conducted with support from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) DP200094 as well as an investment from the Cancer Focus Fund, LP.

Innovent and IASO Bio Present Updated Long-Term Follow-Up Data for BCMA CAR-T FUCASO® (Equecabtagene Autoleucel) at IMS 2023

On September 28, 2023 Innovent Biologics, Inc. ("Innovent") (HKEX: 01801), a world-class biopharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures and commercializes high-quality medicines for the treatment of oncology, metabolic, autoimmune, ophthalmology and other major diseases, and IASO Bio, a biopharmaceutical company engaged in discovering, developing, manufacturing and marketing innovative cell therapies and antibody products, reported updated long-term follow-up data from two studies for BMCA CAR-T: (1) Results from phase 1b/2 study (FUMANBA-1) in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) treated with Equecabtagene Autoleucel (Abstract Code P-290) and (2) A model to predict the risk of prolonged thrombocytopenia recovery in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma patients after anti-BCMA CAR-T Treatment (Abstract Code P-288) at the 2023 International Myeloma Society (IMS) Annual Meeting in Vienna on September 27-30, 2023 (Press release, Innovent Biologics, SEP 28, 2023, View Source [SID1234635508]).

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Poster Presentation #1 Overview

Presentation Title: Updated long-term follow-up results of a phase 1b/2 study (FUMANBA-1) in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) treated with Equecabtagene Autoleucel

Session Title: Treatment of Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma

Abstract Code: P-290

Session Date and Time: Saturday, September 28, 2023, 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM EEST

Equecabtagene Autoleucel is a chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy featuring fully human B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-targeting single-chain fragment variable (scFv) antibody. The updated data showed long-term follow-up efficacy, safety, and persistence of the phase 1b/2 study (FUMANBA-1) conducted in 14 clinical sites in China.

This study enrolled RRMM patients who had received ≥3 prior lines of therapy containing at least one proteasome inhibitor and one immunomodulator and whose disease had progressed after the last line of therapy (CTR20192510, NCT05066646).

As of the data cutoff date of December 31, 2022, a total of 105 participants received Equecabtagene Autoleucel at 1.0×106 CAR-T cells/kg with a median follow-up of 18.07 months (IQR 12.6~21.8) and median prior four lines of therapy (range 3~23). Among the 105 patients, 69.5% (73/105) had high-risk cytogenetic abnormalities per mSMART 3.0, 13.3% (14/105) had extramedullary disease (EMD), and 11.4% (12/105) had received prior BCMA CAR-T therapy.

Efficacy: Among the 103 evaluable patients, the overall response rate (ORR) was 96.1% (99/103), with 91.3% (94/103) of those participants achieving a very good partial response (VGPR) or deeper response, and the stringent complete response/complete response (sCR/CR) rate was 77.7% (80/103). In 91 participants without prior CAR-T therapy, ORR was 98.9% (90/91), 82.4% (75/91) of patients reaching sCR/CR,the 12-month PFS rate was 85.5% (95% CI: 75.75, 91.51).

Among the 103 evaluable participants, the median time to response (mTTR) was 16 days (range 11, 179). The 12-month PFS rate was 80.0% (95% CI: 70.33,86.76). 94.2% (97/103) of patients achieved minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity, and all sCR/CR patients achieved MRD negativity. 80.8% (95% CI: 69.59,88.24) of patients sustained MRD negativity over 12 months and the median duration of MRD negativity was not reached.

Equecabtagene Autoleucel demonstrated favorable efficacy in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) who had received prior CAR-T therapy. Among the 12 MM patients who previously received CAR-T therapy, the ORR was 75.0% (9/12), with 41.7% (5/12) of those patients achieving sCR.

Safety: Among the 105 participants, 93.3% (98/105) experienced cytokine release syndrome (CRS). The majority experienced Grade 1-2 CRS, with only one experiencing ≥ Grade 3 CRS. The median time to CRS onset was 6.0 days (range 1, 13) post-infusion, and the median duration of CRS was 5.0 days (range 2, 30). Only 1.9% (2/105) of the patients experienced immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS), including one grade 1 and one grade 2 ICANS, with no ≥ grade 3 ICANS. All patients with CRS or ICANS have recovered.

Expansion and Persistence: Equecabtagene Autoleucel in peripheral blood reached the peak at a median of 12 days post-infusion, with a median Cmax of 88001.13 copies/ug DNA. CAR Transgenes were still detectable in 50% (32/64) and 40% (4/10) of patients who completed follow-ups 12-month and 24-months after infusion.

Anti-CAR antibodies developed in only 20 (19.2%) patients after infusion.

Poster Presentation #2 Overview

Presentation Title: A model to predict the risk of prolonged thrombocytopenia recovery in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma patients after anti-BCMA CAR-T treatment Conference

Session Title: Treatment of Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma

Abstract Code: P-288

Session Date and Time: September 28, 2023, 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM EEST

Patients with RRMM treated with BCMA CAR-T cell therapy frequently experience hematologic toxicity of persistent thrombocytopenia. This presentation showcases a model that was developed to distinguish between patients at high and low risk for prolonged thrombocytopenia. The model was established after analyzing the baseline clinical characteristics of the participants, PLT, C reaction protein, plasma cells in bone marrow, hemoglobin, and Ig Ferritin—which were ultimately determined to be associated with the recovery of thrombocytopenia. Patients with a model score of 5 or higher post-infusion are at a higher risk for prolonged thrombocytopenia.

The principal investigators Prof. Lugui Qiu,MD,from the Chinese Academy of Medical Science Hematology Hospital, and Prof. Chunrui Li, MD, PhD, from Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, stated, "Multiple myeloma is a hematology malignant disease with a high incidence rate, and relapse and refractory are almost inevitable after current treatments. There’s an urgent unmet need for treatments that are well-tolerated and with long persistence. Equecabtagene Autoleucel, a fully human targeted BCMA CAR-T injection, has demonstrated long-lasting efficacy with a durable response. In comparison to the clinical data released at the ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) 2023 Annual Meeting, the updated study data at IMS shows that among patients without prior CAR-T therapy, ORR remains consistently high at 98.9%. The sCR/CR rate and 12-month PFS rate also significantly improved. This suggests that with longer follow-up periods and larger groups of participants, Equecabtagene Autoleucel continues to show excellent efficacy and safety. These results are encouraging and entail a promising opportunity to reshape RRMM treatment and bring forth new hopes to patients."

Krystal Biotech to Present at the Chardan 7th Annual Genetic Medicines Conference

On September 28, 2023 Krystal Biotech, Inc. (the "Company") (NASDAQ: KRYS), a commercial-stage biotechnology company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of genetic medicines to treat diseases with high unmet medical needs, reported that the Company will participate in the Chardan 7th Annual Genetic Medicines Conference in New York (Press release, Krystal Biotech, SEP 28, 2023, View Source [SID1234635507]).

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Krish Krishnan, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, will participate in a fireside chat during the conference and host investor meetings on October 3.

A webcast of the presentation will be available here beginning at 11:30 am ET on Tuesday, October 3 and will be posted on the Investor section of the Company’s website.

Veracyte Announces Multiple Studies Reinforcing the Value of Decipher Prostate Testing Will Be Presented at ASTRO 2023

On September 28, 2023 Veracyte, Inc. (Nasdaq: VCYT) reported that six abstracts highlighting new data from studies evaluating the company’s Decipher Prostate Genomic Classifier and related capabilities will be presented, three as oral presentations, at the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting 2023 taking place October 1-4 in San Diego (Press release, Veracyte, SEP 28, 2023, View Source [SID1234635506]).

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The accepted abstracts include data from a large, randomized, phase 3 study that evaluated the ability of Veracyte’s Decipher Prostate test to help inform treatment decisions among patients with high-risk prostate cancer, as well as a study that assessed risk-score correlation between the gene signatures of three commercially available genomic classifiers, including the Decipher Prostate test.

"Data that will be shared at this year’s ASTRO meeting will demonstrate the Decipher Prostate test’s ability to help clinicians make more informed treatment decisions based on the underlying biology of the individual patient’s prostate cancer and will reinforce that prostate cancer molecular tests are not all created equal nor are they interchangeable," said Elai Davicioni, Ph.D., Veracyte’s medical director for Urology. "Our research collaborators will also present data derived from an analysis of the Decipher Genomics Research for Intelligent Discovery (GRID) database, which help advance understanding of the genomic mechanisms that drive treatment response."

Following are details of the six presentations, which will all take place at the San Diego Convention Center:

Date/Time:

Monday, October 2, 2023, 3:10-3:16 p.m. PT

Title:

Validation of a Genomic Classifier in the NRG Oncology/RTOG 0521 Phase III Trial of Docetaxel with Androgen Suppression and Radiotherapy for Localized High-Risk Prostate Cancer

Abstract #:

158 (oral presentation)

Presenter:

Ryan Phillips, M.D., Ph.D., The Mayo Clinic

Location:

Room 6 D/E

Date/Time:

Monday, October 2, 2023, 3:20-3:27 p.m. PT

Title:

Cross-Comparison Individual Patient Level Analysis of Three Gene Expression Signatures in Localized Prostate in over 50,000 Men

Abstract #:

159 (oral presentation)

Presenter:

Angela Jia, M.D., Ph.D., Case Western Reserve University

Location:

Room 6 D/E

Date/Time:

Sunday, October 1, 2023, 4:55-5:02 p.m.

Title:

A Precision Medicine Navigator Can Mitigate Inequities Associated with Utilization of Genomic Tests in Black Men with Prostate Cancer

Abstract #:

122 (oral presentation)

Presenter:

Alexander Allen, M.D., University of Maryland Medical Center

Location:

Room 4

Date/Time:

Monday, October 2, 2023, 5:00-6:00 p.m. PT

Title:

Longitudinal Profiling of Tumor RNA Expression Signatures Reveal Key Biological Features Associated with Response to Neoadjuvant Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy in High-Risk Prostate Cancer

Abstract #:

2539 (poster)

Presenter:

Ariel Marciscano, M.D., Massachusetts General Hospital

Location:

Hall B2

Date/Time:

Tuesday, October 3, 2023, 2:30-3:45 p.m. PT

Title:

Predictive Value of Genomic Classifier Scores and Transcriptomic Data for Prostate Cancer Distant Metastasis Risk: A Multicenter Retrospective Study

Abstract #:

2926 (poster)

Presenter:

John Nikitas, M.D., University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Radiation Oncology

Location:
Hall B2

Date/Time:

Tuesday, October 3, 2023, 2:30-3:45 p.m. PT

Title:

Dynamic Changes of Molecular Subtype Classification and Genomic Classifier Scores in High-Risk Prostate Cancer Patients Undergoing Pre-Operative Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy

Abstract #:

2825 (poster)

Presenter

Marshall Diven, M.D., New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital

Location:

Hall B2

New Data Presented at the 2023 ATA Annual Meeting Demonstrate that Veracyte’s Afirma-Based Testing Can Uncover Key Molecular Hallmarks of Thyroid Cancer

On September 28, 2023 Veracyte, Inc. (Nasdaq: VCYT) reported that new data presented at the 2023 American Thyroid Association (ATA) Annual Meeting demonstrate the type of novel molecular insights for thyroid nodules and cancer that are enabled by analysis with the Afirma Genomic Sequencing Classifier (GSC) (Press release, Veracyte, SEP 28, 2023, View Source [SID1234635505]). Presented by clinical researchers in three posters, the findings are based on Afirma whole-transcriptome RNA sequencing data and reveal novel molecular profiles to advance research of thyroid nodules and cancer. These data represent findings that can be assessed utilizing the company’s Afirma Genomic Resource for Intelligent Discovery (GRID) tool, which will soon be available, upon request, on a research-use-only basis.

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"These ATA presentations underscore the value of personalized, whole-transcriptome-based data for a clearer understanding of the molecular underpinnings of thyroid nodules and cancer, which may ultimately be useful for more tailored treatment of patients," said Joshua Klopper, M.D., Veracyte’s medical director for Endocrinology. "Now with the Afirma GRID, we are pleased to give researchers a new tool to help fuel novel discoveries in the science of thyroid nodules and cancer."

The three ATA posters include results from the analysis of whole-transcriptome data derived from the Afirma GSC. Highlights from the posters include:

Leveraging RNA Sequencing for Pre-Operative Immunophenotyping of BRAFV600E+ Thyroid Nodules
Jarod Olay, M.S., from the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine and collaborators found that RNA expression profiles derived by Afirma GSC molecular testing may allow for pre-operative immunophenotyping of thyroid cancers instead of the traditional immunohistochemistry performed on surgical specimens. Their study was based on a retrospective analysis of nearly 48,000 thyroid nodules analyzed with the Afirma GSC, confirming that the classifier identified the expected immunophenotype for a specific type of thyroid cancer molecular alteration. While additional research is needed, these findings begin to suggest the potential future use of Afirma GSC testing to predict a thyroid cancer’s response to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy.
Molecular Assessment of Isthmus Thyroid Carcinomas
Sina Jasim, M.D., from Washington University in St. Louis and collaborators detected molecular differences between thyroid cancers in the isthmus compared to lobar locations, which could help explain why thyroid nodules in the isthmus are more likely to be malignant and demonstrate aggressive behavior. Analysis with Afirma GSC revealed that isthmus-based cancers had increased BRAF-like molecular signatures, ERK, and FMT (follicular mesenchymal transition) signaling compared to lobar-based cancers.
Sodium Iodide Symporter (NIS) Expression in Cytologically Indeterminate and Malignant Thyroid Nodules
Prasana Santhanam, M.B.B.S., M.D., from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and collaborators found that NIS expression varies widely across thyroid nodule cytological classification groups and across molecular alterations. They analyzed Afirma GSC gene expression data from more than 47,000 thyroid nodules and recommend follow-up studies to determine how pre-operative assessment of NIS expression could be used to improve treatment selection for patients.
"Understanding the broad range of molecular profiles associated with thyroid cancer will require sophisticated analysis tools and studies to determine how these profiles can potentially be used to stratify patients and identify the best course of treatment," said Dr. Santhanam. "Our team was pleased to collaborate with the Afirma team for whole-transcriptome analysis of thyroid FNA samples and to gain new insights into the spectrum of NIS expression."

New Research-Use-Only Afirma GRID

The three molecular signatures identified in these studies, along with many other thyroid cancer molecular profiles, will soon be available through the new Afirma GRID research-use-only tool. The database was developed through novel discovery work at Veracyte and through the utilization of published literature. It is designed to serve as a comprehensive resource for research into molecular characteristics that may ultimately help improve the understanding of how to manage patients with thyroid nodules. The tool is available upon request and is intended for use on a research-use-only basis for thyroid nodules that are deemed suspicious for cancer by the Afirma GSC or are reported as Bethesda V or VI by cytopathology.

"We are excited to soon make this new tool available to the thyroid cancer research community," said Dr. Klopper. "Similar to what Veracyte has done for prostate cancer research with our Decipher GRID tool, with Afirma GRID we aim to help usher in a new era of more personalized diagnosis and treatment for patients with thyroid nodules and cancer."