Cytovia Therapeutics Presents New Preclinical Data for Its GPC3 Flex-NK™ Cell Engager Antibody in Combination With Natural Killer Cells at ESMO 2022 in Paris
AVENTURA, Fla. and NATICK, Mass., Sept. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cytovia Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company empowering natural killer (NK) cells to fight cancer through stem cell engineering and multispecific antibodies, announced today that it is presenting new preclinical data for its GPC3 Flex-NK™ cell engager antibody in combination with natural killer cells at the European Society of Medical Oncology's annual congress in Paris, France on September 12th, 2022.
The poster is available on both Cytovia and ESMO's websites and will be displayed from 9AM-5PM CET and presented from 12PM-1PM CET on Monday, September 12th, 2022 (Poster Session 13, Hall 4, Abstract 756P).
Background: GPC3 is an oncofetal antigen that is highly expressed in HCC while it is hardly expressed in adult normal tissues except placenta. CYT-303 is a multifunctional bispecific NK cell engager built on our Flex-NKTM scaffold, which engages NK cells through NKp46 and targets GPC3 expressed on tumor cells.
Conclusions:
- CYT-303 showed dose-dependent HCC tumor growth inhibition in PBNK and iNK cell injected HCC tumor models.
- Dose-dependent increases in CYT-303 concentrations in tumor and blood were observed in the PBNK injected HCC tumor model showing the potential for CYT-303 to penetrate solid tumors.
- CYT-303 treated animals showed significant decreases in blood PBNKs suggesting CYT-303 may facilitate trafficking of these cells from blood to the tumor.
- Bell shaped dose-response observed with CYT-303 monotherapy in the PBNK injected HCC tumor model is consistent with CYT-303 in vitro studies showing similar dose-responses for PBNK and HCC tumor binding and tumor cytolysis.
- The linear dose-response observed with CYT-303 combination therapy with iNK cells in the HCC tumor model is consistent with the in vitro linear dose-response observed with iNK combination for cytolysis of HCC tumors.
- CYT-303 treatment resulted in reductions in blood AFP levels in both the PBNK and iNK injected HCC tumor models showing the utility of this biomarker for CYT-303 clinical studies.
- These CYT-303 preclinical proof-of-concept studies support clinical development of CYT-303 in HCC.
About Cytovia Therapeutics
Cytovia Therapeutics aims to accelerate patient access to transformational cell therapies and immunotherapies, addressing several of the most challenging unmet medical needs in cancer. Cytovia focuses on harnessing the innate immune system by developing complementary and disruptive NK-cell and NK-engager antibody platforms. The company is developing three types of iPSC-derived (or iNK) cells: unedited iNK cells, TALEN® gene-edited iNK cells with improved function and persistence, and TALEN® gene-edited iNK cells with chimeric antigen receptors (CAR-iNKs) to improve tumor-specific targeting. The second complementary cornerstone technology is a quadrivalent multifunctional antibody platform designed to engage natural killer cells by targeting NKp46 using Cytovia's proprietary Flex-NK™ technology.
These two technology platforms are being used to develop treatment for patients with solid tumors such as HCC and glioblastoma as well as hematological malignancies such as refractory multiple myeloma. Headquartered in Aventura, FL., Cytovia has research and development laboratories in Natick, MA. The company's own R&D work is augmented through scientific partnerships with Cellectis, CytoImmune, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, INSERM, the New York Stem Cell Foundation and the University of California San Francisco (UCSF).
Cytovia has recently formed CytoLynx Therapeutics, a strategic partnership focused on research and development, manufacturing, and commercialization activities in Greater China and beyond.
Find out more at www.cytoviatx.com and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram.
ABOUT HCC
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver malignancy and a leading cause of death worldwide, with 800,000 new cases diagnosed globally every year. The incidence in Asia is amongst the highest in the world (75%) with 400,000 in China alone. According to the American Cancer Society, it is estimated that there were close to 40,000 new HCC cases in the US in 2022, with almost 30,000 deaths from the disease, which continues to be on the rise. The major risk factors for HCC include non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), chronic alcohol consumption, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C.
Despite advances in immunotherapy, with current treatment options including multi-kinase inhibitors (TKI) and checkpoint inhibitors, life expectancy for patients diagnosed with HCC remains very low. The disease is often diagnosed at an advanced stage, with a median survival of approximately 6 to 20 months following diagnosis, and a 5-year survival rate below 10% in the US. Fortunately, new options including cell therapy and bispecific antibodies offer promise towards a cure for liver cancer.
SOURCE Cytovia Therapeutics
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