On March 11, 2021 Purple Biotech Ltd. ("Purple Biotech" ", or the "Company") (NASDAQ/TASE: PPBT), a clinical-stage company developing first-in-class, effective and durable therapies by overcoming tumor immune evasion and drug resistance, reported that additional preclinical data supporting the mechanism of action of NT219, a dual inhibitor, novel small molecule that simultaneously targets IRS1/2 and STAT3, will be presented in a poster at the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) 2021 Annual Meeting, taking place in virtual format, on April 10-15 and May 17-21, 2021 (Press release, Purple Biotech, MAR 11, 2021, View Source [SID1234576528]). These updated data expand on the previously reported results generated from the Company’s collaboration with Professor Ido Wolf, Head of the Oncology Division, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, and will be highlighted in a presentation titled, "Adaptation of colorectal cancer cells to the brain microenvironment: The role of IRS2."
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Colorectal cancer (CRC) represents the fourth most frequent cause of brain metastasis, which is the most common brain tumor. However, molecular mechanisms supporting the formation of these lesions from CRC are poorly defined. IRS2 is a known downstream effector of IGF-1 receptors, which regulate cell growth and proliferation. The updated in vitro and in vivo data show the importance of the expression of IRS2 in the development, survival and growth of CRC brain metastasis. Moreover, the increase in trophic effects of IRS2 on brain metastases was associated with increased mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. In addition, NT219, an inhibitor of IRS2, and the subject of the Company’s ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical trial for the treatment of multiple cancers, showed in preclinical studies significant and dose-dependent inhibition of CRC cell viability, associated with decreased beta-catenin levels that have been shown to be related to the immune oncology resistance phenotype.
"This important study is the first to demonstrate the significant role of IRS2 in promoting CRC brain metastases and suggests that NT219 could have potential in addressing this critical unmet medical need," said Bertrand Liang, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer of Purple Biotech. "We continue to be highly encouraged by the compelling mechanism of action data and preclinical results generated to date by NT219. We remain focused on enrolling patients in our ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical trial of NT219 as monotherapy for the treatment of solid tumors, followed by a dose escalation of NT219 in combination with cetuximab, an epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR) blocking monoclonal antibody, for the treatment of recurrent and/or metastatic solid tumors and squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck cancer or colorectal adenocarcinoma. We continue to hope to receive top-line data from the first part of this study in the second half of this year."