On October 13, 2021 Prescient Therapeutics Limited (ASX:PTX) reported that it is presenting new preclinical data on OmniCAR at the Cell & Gene Meeting on the Mesa in Carlsbad, California (Press release, Prescient Therapeutics, OCT 13, 2021, View Source;utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=prescient-presents-new-data-on-key-omnicar-features-for-car-t-cell-therapy-at-cell-gene-meeting [SID1234591219]). Bringing together some prominent decision makers on therapies including cell therapy, the Cell & Gene Meeting on the Mesa is considered as one of the foremost conferences in the sector.
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The data highlights the exceptional capabilities of OmniCAR to deliver next generation cell therapies that are controllable, flexible, & adaptable in nature. They can target multiple cancer antigens.
The findings are significant not only in the development of Prescient’s in-house OmniCAR programs, but in the development of the overall platform and demonstrating novel features relevant to potential partners and collaborators.
CAR-T therapy & the challenges in its efficacy
CAR-T is a cell therapy effectively working against certain blood cancers by genetically altering a patient’s own T-cells by adding a new receptor (CAR) to recognise cancer antigens. However, the field of CAR-T therapy is encountering some challenges related to time, cost, safety and targets.
CAR-T Therapy against cancer
Source: PTX Update (13 October 2021)
For CAR-T to succeed in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) and overcome challenges that limit their broader use, it needs to consider that AML patients are not in a state to undergo vigorous therapies such as CAR-T. AML has the potential to mutate mid-therapy, making single CARTs non-effective. In case multiple current gen CAR-T therapies were available, resistant patients are expected to advance before subsequent therapies are manufactured for them. OmniCAR is uniquely placed to address these challenges for CAR-T in AML.
Current generation CAR-T therapy is also facing similar issues in treating GBM (an aggressive brain cancer, glioblastoma multiforme). The composition of GBM and its ability to rapidly mutate limits the effectiveness of CAR-Ts only targeting a single antigen which may result in relapse. Conversely, CAR-Ts targeting multiple antigens have demonstrated anti-tumor responses and more importantly prevented antigen escape in vivo.
ALSO READ: Prescient Therapeutics’ (ASX:PTX) AML trial progresses to next dosing level
Steven Yatomi-Clarke and Dr Rebecca Lim will be presenting an ‘OmniCAR Explainer’ session next Tuesday at 11am (AEDT) where they will explain the OmniCAR platform and latest results in more detail. Please click here to register for the session.
OmniCAR addressing the problems raised in CAR-T therapy
Prescient Therapeutics’ OmniCAR platform
Source: PTX Update (13 October 2021)
OmniCAR is a modularised universal immune receptor (UIR) platform enabling controllable T-cell activity and multi-antigen targeting with a single cell product. The platform uses technology exclusively from CAR-T pioneer the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn), as well as Oxford University. It has the potential to enhance the safety and efficacy of any CAR-T therapy, enabling in-house development of next-generation CAR-T therapies, and by dramatically improving external CAR-T programs. It will create opportunities for collaboration and business development in the CAR-T field.
Prescient’s New Data Demonstrating Key OmniCAR Features for CAR-T cell Therapy
Dose-response: In cell therapies such as CAR-T therapy, where living cells that continue to grow and divide are administered to patients, efficacy is less predictable and controllable. OmniCAR aims to combine the potent cytotoxicity of cell therapy with the control and predictability of a conventional drug.
Re-arming: Single infusions of CAR-T cells may be insufficient to drive meaningful patient outcomes in many cancers, especially solid tumours. OmniCAR-T cells pre-armed with Her2 binders demonstrated potent ability to kill cancer cells expressing Her2.
Sequential arming & re-direction: OmniCAR-T cells pre-armed with EGFRviii binders demonstrated rapid cytotoxicity against those GBM cells expressing EGFRviii. Also, OmniCAR cells can be redirected to a different antigen target upon administration of a different SpyTagged binder without needing new cells. In each case, OmniCAR exhibited highly target tumour killing.
Source: PTX Update (13 October 2021)
ALSO READ: Prescient Therapeutics (ASX:PTX) aims to cash in on OmniCAR Programs
Here’s a remark by Prescient’s Director of Scientific Affairs, Dr Rebecca Lim:
"Critical features of OmniCAR have been tested in recent months and the data continue to be extremely positive. Our most recent work conducted in collaboration with the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre showed that OmniCAR-T cells begin antigen-directed killing of tumour cells in vitro as soon as they are armed. The team also showed that OmniCAR-T cells could be re-armed and continue to kill tumour cells without loss of cytotoxicity."
She added, "Excitingly, we saw for the first time the real-time ‘switchability’ of the OmniCAR system where the tumour killing ability of the OmniCAR-T cells could be redirected towards a different antigen through the addition of a different binder. These early wins are extremely encouraging, and we look forward to the next phase of pre-clinical testing where the OmniCAR technology will be put through its paces using gold standard cancer models."
Stock information: PTX share price surged by 6.818% and closed the day’s trade at AU$0.235 on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), with a market capital of AU$151.44 million.