On November 8, 2024 Cue Biopharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: CUE), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a novel class of therapeutic biologics to selectively engage and modulate disease-specific T cells for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune disease, reported updated data from its Phase 1 dose escalation and expansion trial evaluating its lead oncology asset from the Immuno-STAT CUE-100 series, CUE-101, in patients with recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (R/M HNSCC) (Press release, Cue Biopharma, NOV 8, 2024, View Source [SID1234648040]). The data was presented in an oral session at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) (Free SITC Whitepaper)’s 39th Annual Meeting (SITC 2024) being held in Houston, Texas and virtually November 6-10.

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 addition, on Saturday, November 9, 2024, the Company will present a poster with data from its Phase 1 trial evaluating monotherapy activity of its second clinical asset from the CUE-100 series, CUE-102, for the treatment of patients with late-stage Wilms Tumor 1 positive (WT1+) colorectal, gastric, ovarian and pancreatic cancers. Data showed substantial evidence of selective expansion of WT1-specific T cells, with anti-tumor activity and a favorable tolerability profile with no dose limiting toxicities (DLTs) observed.

"The therapeutic responses observed with CUE-101 and pembrolizumab are very promising. The combination has been well-tolerated and demonstrates durable clinical benefit," said Christine H. Chung, M.D., Department Chair, Head and Neck-Endocrine Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, and a principal investigator participating in the CUE-101 clinical trial. "The latest results highlight the potential of CUE-101 to improve response rates and quality of life for this patient population."

Key data highlights from the expansion portion of the trial evaluating CUE-101 at the recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D) of 4mg/kg in combination with pembrolizumab in 1L HPV+ R/M HNSCC patients (data cutoff of September 11, 2024) include:

ORR of 46% and overall disease control rate (DCR) of 75% in patients with combined positive score (CPS) ≥1, compared to an ORR of 19% observed with pembrolizumab alone in the historical third-party KEYNOTE-048 trial. This includes one complete response (CR) and 10 partial responses (PR), in addition to seven durable stable diseases (DSD) of >12 weeks.
Survival metrics continue to mature: 12-month OS of 91.3% compared to 51% with pembrolizumab alone in the historical KEYNOTE-048 trial.
mOS of 21.8 months compared to 12.3 months in the historical KEYNOTE-048 trial.
ORR of 50% in patients with PD-L1 CPS 1-19.
Key data highlights from the CUE-101 expansion portion of the Phase 1b trial evaluating CUE-101 at the RP2D as monotherapy with 20 second line and beyond (2L+) patients (majority third line and beyond (3L+) (data cutoff of September 11, 2024) include:

mOS of 20.8 months, notably longer than the historical mOS of 7.5 and 8.4 months reported in historical third-party 2L R/M HNSCC trials: CheckMate 141 and KEYNOTE-040, respectively.
CUE-101 has been well tolerated as a monotherapy and in combination with pembrolizumab. No significant safety concerns have emerged in either the monotherapy or combination trials, and adverse events have been readily managed with appropriate medical care.

Key data highlights from the completed CUE-102 dose escalation and ongoing dose expansion parts of the Phase 1 clinical trial (data cutoff of October 29, 2024) include:

67% overall DCR in late-stage pancreatic cancer patients treated with CUE-102 at 2 and 4mg/kg, including an unconfirmed PR with a 40% decrease in tumor burden.
Evidence of selective stimulation and expansion of WT1-specific CD8 T cells, with no apparent increase in total numbers of non-specific CD8 T cells.
No dose-limiting toxicities occurred in patients treated during the dose escalation phase at doses ranging between 1-8mg/kg of CUE-102.
Matteo Levisetti, M.D., chief medical officer of Cue Biopharma, added, "We are pleased with the positive results from both the CUE-101 and CUE-102 ongoing trials as the data continue to mature. The CUE-102 data further demonstrates the mechanism of action of Immuno-STAT biologics to activate and expand tumor-specific T cells, as well as its translation into evidence of clinical benefit. The versatility of the Immuno-STAT platform holds significant potential for treating a variety of cancers."

All posters will be available to conference attendees as e-posters on the virtual meeting platform November 7, 2024, at 9 a.m. CST through January 7, 2025. The CUE-101 oral presentation and CUE-102 poster will also be available on November 8, 2024, in the Investors & Media section of the Company’s website at www.cuebiopharma.com, under Scientific Publications and Presentations.

About the CUE-100 Series
The CUE-100 series consists of Fc-fusion biologics that present two signals to T cells. Signal #1 is a tumor-specific peptide linked to a major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) to enable selectivity and specificity. Signal #2 is a rationally engineered interleukin 2 (IL-2) molecule to trigger T cell activation. These singular biologics are anticipated to selectively target, activate and expand a robust repertoire of tumor-specific T cells directly in the patient’s body. The binding affinity of IL-2 for its receptor has been deliberately attenuated to achieve preferential selective activation of tumor-specific effector T cells while reducing the potential for effects on regulatory T cells (Tregs) or broad systemic activation, potentially mitigating the dose-limiting toxicities associated with current IL-2-based therapies.

About CUE-101 and the Phase 1 trial
CUE-101 is Cue Biopharma’s lead clinical drug candidate from the CUE-100 series of interleukin 2 (IL-2)-based biologics. It is designed to activate and expand HPV16 tumor-specific T cells by presenting the HPV E7 protein to the HPV-specific T cell receptor. CUE-101 is currently being evaluated in a fully enrolled Phase 1 open-label, dose escalation and expansion study, for the treatment of HPV16+ driven recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma in second line (2L) and beyond patients as a monotherapy, and as a first line (1L) therapy in combination with pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA).

About CUE-102 and the Phase 1 trial
CUE-102 is Cue Biopharma’s second clinical drug candidate from the CUE-100 series of interleukin 2 (IL-2)-based biologics. It is designed to activate and expand Wilms’ Tumor 1 (WT1)-specific T cells by presenting the WT1 peptide to the WT1- specific T cell receptor. WT1 is a well-recognized onco-fetal protein known to be over-expressed in a number of cancers, including solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. CUE-102 is being evaluated in a Phase 1 open label, two-part dose escalation and expansion study, for patients with late-stage colorectal, gastric/gastroesophageal junction, pancreatic and ovarian cancers that express WT1.

On November 8, 2024 Imugene Limited (ASX), a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company, reported the opening of the first Australian site for its azer-cel (azercabtagene zapreleucel) Phase 1b clinical trial (Press release, Imugene, NOV 8, 2024, https://mcusercontent.com/e38c43331936a9627acb6427c/files/6cb570ab-dadb-6cab-173b-2dd7797a4189/Imugene_Opens_First_Australian_Site_for_azer_cel_Trial.pdf [SID1234648039]). The Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney will begin patient recruitment in November 2024, marking another significant milestone in the development of this promising off-the-shelf allogeneic CAR T-cell therapy.

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!

This trial will be one of the only actively enrolling allogeneic CAR T-cell clinical trial in Australia, focusing on relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), a challenging form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Azer-cel represents a promising therapeutic option for patients whose cancers have not responded to other treatments, including autologous CAR T-cell therapies.

Azer-cel is an allogeneic, off-the-shelf CAR T-cell therapy that targets CD19, a protein commonly found on the surface of B-cells, including cancerous cells in DLBCL. Unlike traditional autologous CAR T therapies, which require harvesting and engineering a patient’s own T-cells, azer-cel uses donor T-cells, which are pre-manufactured and ready for use. This approach allows for quicker treatment and broader availability compared to autologous therapies that have long production times and logistical challenges.

Data to date from the trial, which has been dosing patients at US centres, has demonstrated promising results with three patients achieving complete responses (CR) even after failing multiple previous treatments, including autologous CAR T (see ASX announcement 2 September 2024). In particular, patients in Cohort B of the trial, who received a combination of azer-cel, lymphodepletion (chemotherapy)¹, and interleukin-2 (IL-2), showed robust clinical activity. Two out of three of the evaluable patients in this cohort experienced complete responses, with the durability of these responses extending beyond 90 and 120 days. These early results suggest that azer-cel could offer a meaningful alternative for patients with limited treatment options.

"We’re proud to be able to bring this trial to Imugene’s home country and provide an opportunity for Australian patients to benefit from this unique technology," said Imugene’s Managing Director and CEO Leslie Chong. " This is the first of up to five sites we plan to open in Australia, as we seek to speed up enrolment and deliver improved outcomes in this form of blood cancer."

On November 8, 2024 Medigene AG (Medigene or the "Company", FSE: MDG1, Prime Standard), an oncology platform company focused on the research and development of T cell receptor (TCR)-guided therapies for the treatment of cancer, reported recent advances in its proprietary End-to-End Platform to create optimal safe, sensitive, and specific (3S) T cell receptors that can be applied in various modalities, including therapies utilizing T cell receptor engineered T (TCR-T) cells, TCR-guided T cell engagers (TCR-TCEs) and TCR-natural killer cell therapies (TCR-NK) at the Cell 2024 Conference by Oxford Global taking place in London, UK from November 6-8, 2024 (Press release, MediGene, NOV 8, 2024, View Source [SID1234648038]).

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!

Data presented and discussed included

Kirsty Crame, MD, participated in the panel "Exploring Autologous vs. Allogeneic Therapies." which covered clinical insights, patient considerations, key immunological factors, and manufacturing challenges associated with each therapeutic approach.
Kirsty Crame, MD, held the keynote address "Making the Ordinary Extraordinary: MDG1015 A Clinic Ready 3rd Generation TCR-T Therapy" providing a comprehensive overview of MDG1015. MDG1015 is a first-in-class, 3rd generation T cell receptor engineered T cell (TCR-T) therapy targeting NY-ESO-1 / LAGE-1a, a well-recognized and validated cancer-testis antigen, which is expressed in multiple tumor types. MDG1015 received IND approval in Q3 2024 and is on track for CTA filing in Q4 2024.
Prof. Dolores Schendel presented the "TCR-T Platform for Solid Tumors" covering Medigene’s End-to-End Platform offering advanced technologies for developing 3S TCRs that can be utilized across multiple modalities. Precision tools enabling selection of 3S TCRs with high specificity, sensitivity, and safety for accurate tumor targeting were presented. Additionally, armoring and enhancement technologies were showcased which empower TCR-T cells to perform optimally within the challenging microenvironments of solid tumors. Furthermore, innovative tagging and tracing tools were highlighted, enabling seamless tracking of 3S TCRs throughout all phases of research and clinical development.
The presentations will be available on Medigene’s website: View Source

"Among other factors, the success of TCR-guided therapies for solid tumors hinges on several key innovations: developing optimal TCRs that are safe, sensitive, and specific; enhancing engineered cells to overcome the tumor microenvironment; and refining manufacturing strategies for optimized drug composition and timely patient delivery," said Dolores Schendel, Medigene’s Chief Scientific Officer. "Our E2E Platform addresses each of these critical areas, positioning us to deliver optimal 3S TCRs that can be utilized in multiple therapeutic modalities, such as TCR-T therapies, TCR-TCEs and TCR-NK cell therapies. This approach of developing different TCR-guided therapies enables us to provide innovative treatment options tailored to patients across various indications, disease stages, and specific individual needs."

On November 8, 2024 Fate Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: FATE), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to bringing a first-in-class pipeline of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cellular immunotherapies to patients with cancer and autoimmune disorders, reported initial preclinical data for FT836, a multiplexed-engineered, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell product candidate targeting major histocompatibility complex (MHC) proteins A (MICA) and B (MICB) at the 2024 Society of Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) (Free SITC Whitepaper) 39th Annual Meeting being held in Houston, TX on November 6-10, 2024 (Press release, Fate Therapeutics, NOV 8, 2024, View Source [SID1234648037]). The expression of MICA/B cell-surface proteins is induced by cellular stress or malignant transformation, and is detectable across many types of cancer cells with limited expression on healthy tissue. FT836 incorporates multiple next-generation synthetic controls of CAR T-cell function including the Company’s novel Sword & Shield technology, which is comprised of a constellation of genetic edits that both target and evade host alloreactive immune cells and is designed to promote functional persistence of off-the-shelf CAR T-cell therapies without conditioning chemotherapy.

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!

"The novel suite of synthetic controls incorporated into FT836 is intended to address critical challenges that have limited CAR T-cell safety and efficacy in treating solid tumors including on-target, off-tumor toxicity, effector cell suppression in the tumor microenvironment, tumor heterogeneity, and limited functional persistence," said Bob Valamehr, Ph.D., President of Research & Development of Fate Therapeutics. "Our FT836 preclinical data presented today at SITC (Free SITC Whitepaper) support the pan-cancer activity of MICA/B targeting, and indicate that our next-generation, iPSC-derived CAR T-cell platform has the potential to drive potent and durable anti-tumor activity without the need for administration of conditioning chemotherapy to deplete host immune cells."

Preclinical Data

MICA/B targeting is emerging as a novel cancer-specific strategy to attack a wide range of solid tumors, however, proteolytic cleavage and shedding of MICA/B at the membrane-proximal α3 domain is a common mechanism of cancer resistance and escape from canonical NKG2D-mediated recognition. FT836 is designed to uniquely target and bind the α3 domain, which has been shown to stabilize MICA/B expression and induce robust cytolytic killing of tumor cells. At an oral presentation today at SITC (Free SITC Whitepaper) entitled "Development of an Off-the-Shelf, MICA/B Targeting CAR T Cell to Overcome Pan-tumor Escape Mechanism for Solid Tumors", scientists from the Company highlighted that FT836 exerted potent and durable anti-tumor activity in vivo across a broad array of solid tumors. In addition, treatment of tumor cells with chemotherapy or radiation therapy in vitro elicited an increase in MICA/B expression and further enhanced the cytolytic activity of FT836, indicating the potential for combination with standard-of-care regimens used for the treatment of solid tumors.

Novel Sword & Shield Technology

FT836 is also the Company’s first product candidate to incorporate its novel Sword & Shield technology, which utilizes a 4-1BB-targeted CAR (ADR) alongside the complete knock-out of CD58 (CD58KO), to both target and evade host alloreactive immune cells. In preclinical studies presented at SITC (Free SITC Whitepaper), iPSC-derived Sword & Shield CAR T cells demonstrated functional persistence and durable anti-tumor activity in vivo that was uniquely maintained upon supraphysiological challenge with alloreactive T cells, indicating the potential of Sword & Shield CAR T cells to thrive without administration of conditioning chemotherapy to deplete host immune cells. The Company’s novel Sword & Shield technology was also featured in a poster presentation at SITC (Free SITC Whitepaper) entitled "Alloimmune Defense Receptor Combined with Genetic Ablation of Adhesion Ligand CD58 is a Comprehensive Approach to Promote Functional Persistence of Allogeneic Cell Therapies without Conditioning Chemotherapy".

On November 8, 2024 Autolus Therapeutics plc (Nasdaq: AUTL), an early-commercial stage biopharmaceutical company developing next-generation programmed T cell therapies, reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted marketing approval for AUCATZYL (obecabtagene autoleucel) for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (r/r B-ALL) (Press release, Autolus, NOV 8, 2024, View Source [SID1234648036]).

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!

"Adult ALL is an extremely aggressive cancer, and there is a high unmet medical need that exists in the treatment of patients with this disease once they relapse, where historically they suffer from poor outcomes," said Elias Jabbour, MD, U.S. lead investigator of the FELIX study and professor of Leukemia, ALL Section Chief, at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas. "This milestone approval, based on the demonstrated clinical benefit of AUCATZYL, brings new hope for adult patients with relapsed/refractory B-ALL."

AUCATZYL was approved by the FDA based on results from the FELIX clinical trial of obe-cel in adult patients with r/r B-ALL. In the morphological disease cohort, 94 patients received at least one infusion of AUCATZYL of which 65 patients had > 5% blasts in the bone marrow after screening and prior to the start of lymphodepletion therapy and received a conforming product, qualifying them as efficacy evaluable. In the efficacy evaluable patients (n=65), 63% achieved overall complete remission (OCR1) which includes 51% of patients with CR at any time and 12% patients with CRi at any time. The major efficacy outcome was complete remission within 3 months, which was achieved in 42% patients, and the median duration of remission (DOR) was 14.1 months. AUCATZYL showed low levels of Cytokine Release Syndrome (CRS), with 3% Grade 3 events, and no Grade 4 or 5 events. Grade ≥ 3 Immune Effector Cell-Associated Neurotoxicity Syndrome (ICANS) was reported in 7% of patients. No REMS was required by the FDA for AUCATZYL.

The safety of AUCATZYL includes a boxed warning for CRS, neurologic toxicities, and secondary hematological malignancies. ICANS, including fatal or life-threatening reactions, occurred in patients receiving AUCATZYL. T-cell malignancies have occurred following treatment of hematologic malignancies with BCMA- and CD19-directed genetically modified autologous T-cell immunotherapies. In the FELIX trial, the most common non-laboratory adverse reactions (incidence ≥ 20%) included CRS, infections-pathogen unspecified, musculoskeletal pain, viral infections, fever, nausea, bacterial infectious disorders, diarrhea, febrile neutropenia, ICANS, hypotension, pain, fatigue, headache, encephalopathy, and hemorrhage.

"Based on the experience in the FELIX trial AUCATZYL is highly active and can be well managed, offering an attractive risk benefit profile for B-ALL patients," said Dr. Claire Roddie, MD, PhD, FRCPath, Lead investigator of the FELIX study and Associate Professor of Haematology at the University College London (UCL) Cancer Institute. "In the FELIX trial AUCATZYL has shown long term persistence and deep responses which we believe are critical for long term remissions in B-ALL."

"We are so pleased to now be able to offer AUCATZYL, our first commercial product, to adult r/r B-ALL patients in the U.S. This approval would not have been possible without the support of all the patients, their families and caregivers, their treating physicians and the nurses and investigators at the treatment centers – thank you," said Dr. Christian Itin, Chief Executive Officer of Autolus. "This milestone is the culmination of many years of hard work, the foundational work by our partners at UCL and the unwavering commitment of our internal team, our external partners and shareholders. This is a proud day for Autolus."

AUCATZYL will be manufactured at Autolus’ dedicated commercial manufacturing site, the Nucleus, in Stevenage, UK. The site was granted a Manufacturer’s Importation Authorization (MIA) and a GMP certificate from the U.K. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in March 2024, and was inspected as part of the FDA approval process. No major or critical observations were identified by either the MHRA or FDA during the site inspections. The Nucleus will supply AUCATZYL globally, with Cardinal Health serving as Autolus’ commercial distribution partner in the U.S. Autolus will now engage with existing treatment centers to complete the onboarding process and initiate the first scheduling of patients to make AUCATZYL commercially available in the U.S.

ALL is an aggressive type of blood cancer that can also involve the lymph nodes, spleen, liver, central nervous system and other organs. Approximately 8,400 new cases of adult ALL are diagnosed every year in the US and EU, with around 3,000 patients in the relapsed refractory setting.1 Survival rates remain very poor in adult patients with r/r ALL, with median overall survival of eight months.2 In frontline treatment for adult r/r B-ALL, up to 50% of patients will ultimately relapse, and the standard-of-care treatment can trigger severe toxicities and may be burdensome for some patients.3,4

Marketing authorisation applications (MAAs) for obe-cel in adult r/r ALL are being reviewed by the regulators in both the EU and the UK, with a submission to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) accepted in March 2024, and a submission accepted by the UK MHRA in August 2024.

Conference Call

Management will host a conference call and webcast on November 11 at 8:30 am EST/1:30 pm BST to discuss the AUCATZYL approval. Conference call participants should pre-register using this link to receive the dial-in numbers and a personal PIN, which are required to access the conference call.

A simultaneous audio webcast and replay will be accessible on the events section of Autolus’ website.