On July 1, 2019 Genprex, Inc. (NASDAQ: GNPX), a clinical stage gene therapy company, reported an update on development of its lead drug candidate, Oncoprex immunogene therapy, in combination with immunotherapy for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (Press release, Genprex, JUL 1, 2019, View Source [SID1234537346]).
Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:
Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing
Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!
In July 2018, the company entered a Sponsored Research Agreement with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center ("MD Anderson") to fund a research study entitled, "A Novel Therapeutic Approach for the Treatment of Cancer Using a Combination of the Multifactorial Tumor Suppressor Gene TUSC2 and Immunotherapy." The TUSC2 gene is the active agent in Genprex’s Oncoprex immunogene therapy. The study was budgeted to cost $2.03 million.
The study aimed to develop a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of cancer using a combination of the tumor suppressor gene TUSC2 and immunotherapy, including immune checkpoint inhibitors and anti-PD1 and/or anti-CTLA-4 antibodies. A specific objective of the study was to validate therapeutic efficacy of the TUSC2 and immune checkpoint blockade combination in humanized cancer mouse models. This milestone was completed with positive results presented in a poster by Genprex’s collaborators from MD Anderson at the American Association of Cancer Research Meeting in April 2019, which is available on the company’s website.
Research under the Sponsored Research Agreement is continuing. Further aims of the research include evaluating TUSC2 in combination with immunostimulatory adjuvants and targeted small molecule drugs. Additional goals of the study also include identification of biomarkers that predict response to TUSC2-immunotherapy combinations
Based on data from this study and data from prior clinical and pre-clinical studies, Genprex is working with its Scientific Advisory Board and outside consultants to design a clinical trial for the study of Oncoprex in combination with a checkpoint inhibitor for treatment of non-small cell lung cancer, with the goal of being in a position to enroll patients in the first quarter of 2020.
"Recent studies have shown that less than half of cancer patients qualify for approved immunotherapies based on the patient’s PD-1 or PD-L1 protein expression level," said Julien Pham, President and Chief Operating Officer of Genprex. "Current immunotherapy treatment is only benefitting a small number of cancer patients. We are working to fill this gap by combining our lead drug candidate with approved immunotherapies to give patients more treatment options. The preclinical studies have shown encouraging data that this combination could be a viable treatment option for late-stage non-small cell lung cancer."