On May 15, 2020 GEMoaB, a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of next-generation immunotherapies for hard-to-treat cancers, reported acceptance of three presentations on pre-clinical data for its proprietary universal CAR-T platform (UniCAR) targeting acute leukemia and solid tumors at the 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) (AACR II) being held from June 22-24 (Press release, GEMoaB, MAY 15, 2020, View Source [SID1234558187]).

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CAR-T cell therapy holds great promise for treating a wide range of malignancies. Nevertheless, the CAR-T approach faces multiple challenges, including the risk of acute and long-term toxicities, a current lack of suitable targets, insufficient engraftment and persistence and a microenvironment hostile to CAR-T cells especially in solid tumors.

The AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) poster presentations highlight GEMoaB’s rapidly switchable universal CAR-T platform, UniCAR. The UniCAR platform promises an improved therapeutic window and increased efficacy and safety over conventional CAR-T therapies in hematological malignancies and solid tumors.

"At this year’s AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) meeting II, we are pleased to present important pre-clinical data from our rapidly switchable UniCAR platform," said Armin Ehninger, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of GEMoaB. "Our data suggest the opportunity to actively target CD123 in acute leukemias as well as PSMA and PD-L1 in solid tumors due to UniCAR’s rapid switch on/off capability. In solid tumor models, they also show potentially superior tumor penetration, expansion and persistence capabilities as well as a reduced risk of immunosuppression by the tumor microenvironment."

The data further support the ongoing clinical development of UniCAR in hematological malignancies and solid tumors. A Phase IA dose-finding study of the first UniCAR asset, UniCAR-T-CD123, for the treatment of relapsed/refractory AML and ALL is ongoing. A Phase IA study with UniCAR-T-PSMA directed against CRPC and other PSMA-expressing late-stage solid tumors will be initiated by H2 2020.

GEMoaB’s poster presentations at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) II:

Dietrich et al. Abstract No. 2209 / 14 – Rapidly switchable universal CAR-T cells with improved safety profile allow for active targeting of PD-L1 expressing solid tumors. – PO.IM02.06 – Combination Immunotherapies 2, June 22, 2020, 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM (EDT).
Cartellieri et al. Abstract No. 2176 / 8 – Using a PSMA-specific low-molecular-weight compound for prostate cancer treatment with rapidly switchable universal CAR-T cells: Overcoming the challenges of cellular immunotherapies in solid tumors. – PO.IM02.02 – Adoptive Cell Therapy 2, June 22, 2020, 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM (EDT).
Loff et al. Abstract No. 4232 / 6 – More than a bridging therapy: Targeting CD123 with rapidly switchable universal CAR-T cells for treatment of acute leukemia. – PO.CL06.02 – Adoptive Cell Therapy 4 / Combination Immunotherapies, June 22, 2020, 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM (EDT).