On March 31, 2025 Marker Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: MRKR), a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company focusing on developing next-generation T cell-based immunotherapies for the treatment of hematological malignancies and solid tumors, reported corporate updates and financial results for the year ended December 31, 2024 (Press release, Marker Therapeutics, MAR 31, 2025, View Source [SID1234651680]).

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 2024, we made substantial progress advancing MT-601, our lead multi antigen recognizing (MAR)-T cell therapy, and laid the groundwork for continued momentum in 2025," said Juan Vera, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Marker Therapeutics. "Preliminary data from our Phase 1 APOLLO study showed encouraging safety and efficacy results in lymphoma patients who relapsed after anti-CD19 CAR-T cell therapy. With a 78% objective response rate and favorable safety profile, we believe MT-601 has the potential to provide a transformative treatment option for this patient population. We look forward to sharing additional insights during a webinar in the second quarter of 2025."

"We also strengthened our financial position through a strategic private placement and additional non-dilutive funding from the NIH and CPRIT. As we move further into 2025, our focus remains on cash preservation and disciplined execution to maximize the impact of our clinical programs," concluded Dr. Vera.

2024 PROGRAM UPDATES & OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

MT-601 (Lymphoma)

- MT-601, Marker’s lead MAR-T cell therapy, is being evaluated in the nationwide multicenter Phase 1 APOLLO study (clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT05798897) in patients with anti-CD19 CAR-T relapsed lymphoma or where CAR-T cells are not an option.

- The Company provided an update on the APOLLO study (Press Release, December 19, 2024). Key findings from the study include:

o Safety: MT-601 was well tolerated across all study participants. No immune-effector cell associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) and one case of Grade 1 cytokine release syndrome (CRS) were observed. No dose limiting toxicities (DLTs) have been reported to date.

o Efficacy: In the first dose cohort, 7 out of 9 patients achieved objective responses (78%) at first response assessment, with 4 patients demonstrating complete response (CR; 44.4%).

o Time in Follow-Up: Three patients have been followed for 6 to 12 months, with ongoing follow-up underway. All study participants are monitored closely to ensure comprehensive data collection and patient safety.

- The Company is enrolling additional study participants in the Phase 1 APOLLO trial and expects to report further data in the second half of 2025.

MT-601 (Pancreatic)

- Marker received $2 million from NIH SBIR and $9.5 million from CPRIT to support the development of MT-601 in metastatic pancreatic cancer.

- Clinical program launch is anticipated in the second half of 2025.

MT-401-OTS (Acute Myeloid Leukemia or Myelodysplastic Syndrome)

- The Company previously secured non-dilutive funding to support the clinical investigation of MT-401 as an "Off-the-Shelf" (MT-401-OTS) product in patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) or Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS). MT-401-OTS is manufactured from healthy donors and a cellular inventory has been established with ongoing efforts to expand.

- The Company anticipates clinical program initiation during the second half of 2025.

2024 CORPORATE HIGHLIGHTS

- Announced clinical pipeline prioritization in January 2024 to strategically focus on MT-601 in patients with lymphoma. This announcement also included program updates that highlighted the potential of the Company’s MT-401-OTS program for patients with AML (Press Release, January 8, 2024).

- The United States Adopted Names (USAN) and International Nonproprietary Names (INN) committees approved "neldaleucel" as the nonproprietary (generic) name for MT-601.

- On December 23, 2024, the Company announced a $16.1 million private placement to support the clinical advancements of the Phase 1 APOLLO study. The financing involved participation from new and existing investors, including esteemed firms such as Blue Owl, New Enterprise Associates (NEA) and Aisling Capital.

FISCAL YEAR 2024 FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

Cash Position and Guidance: At December 31, 2024, Marker had cash and cash equivalents of $19.2 million. The Company believes that its existing cash and cash equivalents will fund its operating expenses into the first quarter of 2026, assuming no additional grant funds are received. We anticipate receiving additional grant funding, which we expect could extend our runway beyond Q1 2026.

R&D Expenses: Research and development expenses were $13.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to $10.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2023.

G&A Expenses: General and administrative expenses were $4.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to $7.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Net Loss: Marker reported a net loss of $10.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to a net loss of $8.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2023.

About MAR-T cells

The multi-antigen recognizing (MAR) T cell platform (formerly known as multiTAA-specific T cells) is a novel, non-genetically modified cell therapy approach that selectively expands tumor-specific T cells from a patient’s/donor’s blood capable of recognizing a broad range of tumor antigens. Unlike other T cell therapies, MAR-T cells allow the recognition of hundreds of different epitopes within up to six tumor-specific antigens, thereby reducing the possibility of tumor escape. Since MAR-T cells are not genetically engineered, Marker believes that its product candidates will be easier and less expensive to manufacture, with an improved safety profile compared to current engineered T cell approaches, and may provide patients with meaningful clinical benefits.