On April 28, 2025 Shanghai Juncell Therapeutics Co., Ltd. (Juncell Therapeutics), a clinical-stage biotech specializing in developing innovative IL-2-independent Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocyte (TIL) therapies for cancer, reported it will present preclinical data on a feeder-free manufacturing process for IL-2-independent TIL expansion at the 28th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT) (Free ASGCT Whitepaper), taking place May 13–15, 2025, in New Orleans, LA (Press release, Juncell Therapeutics, APR 28, 2025, View Source [SID1234652274]).

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The study highlights Juncell Therapeutics’ breakthroughs in TIL process development, demonstrating that its proprietary feeder-free system can generate robust, functional TILs from both "hot" and "cold" tumor tissues without relying on high-concentration interleukin-2 (IL-2). These TILs exhibited significant anti-tumor activity in syngeneic patient-derived organoid (PDO) and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models. By eliminating IL-2 dependence and removing the need for feeder cells, the technology paves the way for safer TIL treatment regimens and reduces manufacturing costs.

Presentation Details:

Title: Development of A Feeder-Free Process for IL-2-Independent TIL Expansion
Poster Number: AMA362
Session: Thursday Poster Reception
Date and Time: May 15, 2025, 5:30 PM–7:00 PM
Location: Poster Hall Hall I2

On April 28, 2025 Attivare Therapeutics, Inc., an innovative oncology company focused on the development of its ATTimmune biomaterial scaffold cancer therapies to treat patients across a range of solid and liquid tumors with significant unmet medical needs, reported it will present preclinical data for its novel ATT-01 and ATT-02 therapeutics in two poster presentations at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2025 (Press release, Attivare Therapeutics, APR 28, 2025, View Source [SID1234652290]).

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ATT-01 uses its ATTimmune platform technology, a silica-based, biodegradable scaffold (mesoporous silica rod, MSR), loaded with GM-CSF and CpG to induce differentiation of AML blasts in vitro, a significant vaccine-like T cell response, and durable remission in syngeneic murine models of AML.

Intratumoral ATT-02 combines the ATTimmune scaffold coupled with Interleukin 12 (IL-12) to show potent anti-tumor immunity compared to IL-12 alone in multiple single tumor syngeneic models and abscopal syngeneic models. Complete responses were observed in two colon carcinoma models (localized and abscopal) after a single dose of ATT-02. Of interest, ATTimmune alone had anti-tumor activity with delayed tumor progression and in vitro, shows a repolarization of macrophages to an immunogenic phenotype capable of driving T cell activation with addition of IL-12 enhances this effect.

"We are excited to present our preclinical data for ATT-01 and ATT-02 at the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting," said David Sherris, President and Chief Executive Officer of Attivare Therapeutics. "Here, we present ATTimmune, a novel silica-based platform to deliver potent immune agonists to combat cancer. ATTimmune has advantages over other drug delivery technologies as it can bind a variety of therapeutic agents with a high payload, be it biologics, small molecules, gene therapy or even cellular technologies to its surface without alteration of the therapeutic agents. ATTimmune controllably releases drug over time within a 21-day period. Due to size, ATTimmune remains at its injected location thereby keeping drug where activity is required, as in the tumor microenvironment. As such, ATTimmune has the capability of reducing or eliminating toxicity for drugs having systemic toxicity."

Details of the poster presentations at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) 2025 are as follows:

Title: Delivery of CpG and GM-CSF in a novel silica-based scaffold leads differentiation of AML blasts and T cell-dependent immunity in syngeneic AML tumor models

Abstract Presentation Number: 3467
Session Title: Local Treatments, Novel Tools, and Delivery Systems to Manipulate Tumor Immunity
Session Date and Time: Monday, April 28, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. CT (3 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET)
Location: Poster Section 37
Poster Board Number 6
Title: A single intratumoral injection of Il-12 bound to mesoporous silica rods generates effective anti-tumor immune responses and tumor growth control in multiple syngeneic tumor models

Abstract Presentation Number: 3476
Session Title: Local Treatments, Novel Tools, and Delivery Systems to Manipulate Tumor Immunity
Session Date and Time: Monday, April 28, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. CT (3 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET)
Location: Poster Section 37
Poster Board Number 15

On April 28, 2025 CytomX Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: CTMX), a leader in the field of masked, conditionally activated biologics, reported new preclinical data in collaboration with Moderna on an mRNA encoded masked IL-12 molecule (Press release, CytomX Therapeutics, APR 28, 2025, View Source [SID1234652227]). The data will be presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting, being held in Chicago, IL on April 25-30, 2025.

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"We are excited to share new preclinical data at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper), establishing proof of concept for an mRNA encoded masked molecule in the treatment of cancer," said Marcia Belvin, Ph.D. SVP, Chief Scientific Officer of CytomX Therapeutics. "IL-12 has shown promising anti-tumor activity, but its clinical use has been limited due to its inflammatory toxicity and narrow therapeutic window. By combining CytomX’s proprietary PROBODY masking technology and Moderna’s mRNA technology, we have created an mRNA therapeutic encoding a masked IL-12, designed to be selectively activated within the tumor microenvironment (TME), with limited systemic activity. The data presented at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) show proof of concept for this unique technology combination, a key initial goal of the CytomX-Moderna collaboration."

Details for the poster presentation are as follows:
Presentation Title: An mRNA-encoded masked IL-12 improves systemic tolerability while maintaining anti-tumor efficacy in preclinical studies
Poster Number: 3127/12
Section 24
Session Date and Time: April 28, 2025, 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm CT

On April 28, 2025 Plexium, Inc. (Plexium), a leading next-generation targeted protein degradation company, reported multiple presentations with the Company’s selective monovalent degrader programs for SMARCA2, IKZF2 and CDK2 at the 2025 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting, taking place April 25-30, 2025, in Chicago, IL (Press release, Plexium, APR 28, 2025, View Source [SID1234652243]).

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"These data highlight the clinical and preclinical progress we’ve made across our portfolio, including the use of a novel E3 ligase DCAF16, in our SMARCA2 program—an industry first that reinforces the differentiated potential of our monovalent degrader platform," said Jorge F. DiMartino, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer at Plexium. "We are also excited to share initial clinical data from PLX-4545, which demonstrated clinical proof of mechanism and intended pharmacological immunophenotypic effects."

Oral Presentation Details:

Title: "Discovery and characterization of novel, potent and selective CDK2 molecular glue degrader against CCNE1-amplified tumors"
Session: MS.ET09.01 – Degraders and Glues
Abstract Number: 6375
Date and Time: April 29, 2:55 PM – 3:10 PM
Presenting Author: Leenus Martin, PhD

Title: "PLX-4545, a selective IKZF2 degrader, reprograms suppressive Tregs leading to tumor growth inhibition and combination benefit with immune checkpoint therapy"
Session: MS.ET09.01 – Degraders and Glues
Abstract Number: 6380
Date and Time: April 29, 4:10 PM – 4:25 PM
Presenting Author: Peggy Thompson, PhD

Poster Presentation Highlights:

Title: "Mechanistic characterization of selective monovalent direct degraders of SMARCA2″
Session: PO.ET09.04 – Degraders and Glues 1
Abstract Number: 404
Section: 18
Date and Time: April 27, 2025, 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Presenting Author: Julia Toth, PhD

Plexium’s SMARCA2 degraders function by bromodomain binding and covalent modification
A CRISPR knockout screen identified DCAF16 as being required for PLX-61639 mediated SMARCA2 degradation
MOA studies demonstrate PLX-61639-mediated SMARCA2:DCAF16 protein interactions and the requirement of covalent binding to a specific DCAF16 cysteine to support a stable ternary complex and subsequent SMARCA2 degradation
Title: "Preclinical characterization of PLX-61639, a potent and orally bioavailable SMARCA2-selective monovalent direct degrader"
Session: PO.ET09.10 – Degraders and Glues 2
Abstract Number: 1653
Section: 18
Date and Time: April 28, 2025, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Presenting Author: Gregory Parker, PhD

Plexium has designed PLX-61639, a potent and selective direct degrader of SMARCA2, and nominated it as a development candidate
Daily oral dosing of PLX-61639 results in deep and sustained SMARCA2 degradation, eliciting robust tumor growth inhibition and regression in SM4mut CDX and PDX models, no tumor growth inhibition is observed in a control SM4wt CDX model
PLX-61639 is currently advancing through IND-enabling studies
Title: "A first in human trial of PLX-4545, a molecular glue degrader of IKZF2, in healthy volunteers, shows pharmacologic modulation of Tregs at well-tolerated doses"
Session Title: PO.CT01.02. First-in-Human Phase I Clinical Trials 2
Abstract Number: CT150
Section: 48
Date and Time: April 29, 2025, 9:00 AM – 12 PM
Presenting Author: Jorge DiMartino, MD, PhD

PLX-4545 an oral, CRBN molecular glue degrader of IKZF2, a lineage-defining transcription factor for Tregs was tested in healthy adult volunteers
With repeated daily dosing for 14 days, all dose levels achieved complete degradation of IKZF2 in PBMCs by Day 2 leading to conversion of Tregs into effector-like T cells and an increase in activated T effector cells
TEAEs were mostly Grade 1 or 2 (mild or moderate) in severity and no Dose Limiting Toxicities were encountered. All AEs were reversible with discontinuation of dosing
The AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) 2025 posters will be made available on the Plexium website.

On April 28, 2025 Lumicell, Inc., a leader in developing innovative fluorescence-guided imaging technologies for cancer detection, reported the release of early clinical trial findings from the ex vivo feasibility study for molecular imaging in gastric cancer (Press release, Lumicell Diagnostics, APR 28, 2025, View Source [SID1234652275]).

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Today, Andrew T. Chan, MD, MPH, and David A. Drew, Ph.D. of the Clinical and Translational Epidemiology Unit and Division of Gastroenterology at Massachusetts General Hospital, presented during the session "Advances in the Detection and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Cancers" as a part of the Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) Gastric Cancer Open Scientific Session at this year’s American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting.

Dr. Drew presented compelling new findings highlighting the potential of cathepsin activity as a biomarker for gastric cancer, confirmed through single-cell analysis in patient samples and molecular profiling in genetically engineered mouse models. These findings support the use of pegulicianine-fluorescence imaging in detecting early-stage and neoadjuvant-treated gastric tumors.

In collaboration with Lumicell, Dr. Drew and Dr. Chan led the first clinical trial of pegulicianine in gastrointestinal cancer patients (NCT02584244). In this study, patients with diffuse and intestinal-type gastric cancers received intravenous pegulicianine prior to undergoing curative-intent surgical resection. Post-surgical specimens imaged ex vivo demonstrated strong, tumor-specific fluorescence signals, correlating with pathologically confirmed cancerous tissue. Importantly, pegulicianine was well tolerated by all study participants.

"Most gastric cancers are diagnosed at a locally advanced stage, with five-year survival rates below 30%," said Dr. Chan. "Current screening approaches, such as random biopsies during upper endoscopy, lack sensitivity. These findings represent a shift toward enabling early and more accurate detection."

Dr. Drew added, "We are thrilled to share these feasibility results. This work is propelling us toward real-time, in vivo endoscopic imaging, which could improve early detection strategies of gastric and gastroesophageal cancers in the at-risk patient population."

The next stage of this research is in progress, involving an in vivo clinical trial of pegulicianine and Lumicell’s newly developed endoscopic imaging system.