Imugene’s onCARlytics combination features at Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer’s annual meeting - Kalkine Media

Highlights

• Imugene’s onCARlytics combination with CD19 bispecific antibody blinatumomab for solid tumors featured at the SITC annual meeting
• Also, IMU’s onCARlytics combination with Celularity’s placental-derived off-the-shelf allogeneic CYCART-19 T cells preclinical data was presented at the event
• Both the posters were presented by Dr. Anthony Park, from Dr. Saul Priceman’s Lab at City of Hope, at the SITC 2022

In the latest announcement, clinical-stage immuno-oncology company Imugene Limited (ASX:IMU) revealed that its onCARlytics (CF33-CD19t) oncolytic virus in combination with CD19 bispecific antibody blinatumomab to eliminate solid tumors was presented at the annual meeting for the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC). The event started on 8 November 2022 and will continue till 12 November 2022              in Boston, the United States of America.

Also, data from preclinical studies of Imugene’s onCARlytics (CF33-CD19) oncolytic virus in combination with Celularity’s placental-derived off-the-shelf allogeneic CYCART-19 T cells was presented at the renowned event. Celularity is a clinical-stage biotech company building placental-derived allogeneic cell therapies and biomaterial products.

Following the announcement, IMU’s shares gained over 5% on 11 November 2022 and were trading at AU$0.195 apiece at 1:20 PM AEDT.

Presentation 1: “Combination immunotherapy using a novel chimeric oncolytic virus to redirect CD19 bispecific T cell engagers to target solid tumors”

• T-cell activation markers along with IFNγ and IL-2 secretion rise in response to blinatumomab in an onCARlytics dose-dependent manner in co-culture.
• Blinatumomab starts T-cell-mediated tumor killing in onCARlytics-infected solid tumor cells.
• Blinatumomab treatment after onCARlytics infection and T-cell treatment demonstrates a substantially higher tumor regression vs. onCARlytics, blinatumomab, or just T-Cells in human tumor xenograft models of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC).
• With this combination immunotherapy approach, blinatumomab can be redirected to potently target solid tumors with onCARlytics.

Presentation 2: “CF33-CD19t oncolytic virus (onCARlytics) in combination with off-the-shelf allogeneic CYCART-19 T-cells targeting de novo CD19t expressing tumors.”

• onCARlytics can target triple-negative breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-468 to generate CD19t as a CAR T cell target in a virus dose-dependent manner.
• CYCART-19 showed efficacy in preclinical models against MDA-MB-468 producing CD19t after onCARlytics infection.
• CYCART-19 activation and IL-2 production increased in a virus dose-dependent manner.
• Allogeneic CYCART-19 T cells expressed lesser IFN-γ than autologous CD19-CAR T cells after CD19t-expressing tumor killing.
• CD19t expression was identified in tumors after onCARlytics infection in vivo.
• CYCART-19 treatment seven days after onCARlytics infection reflected major tumor regression than onCARlytics or T cells alone in a mouse xenograft model of triple-negative breast cancer.

Here’s a remark by Celularity Founder, Chairman and CEO Bob Hariri:
“We are encouraged by the potent cytolytic activity observed in the CYCART-19 preclinical models when combining Imugene's onCARlytics product with our placentally derived CYCART-19 cells. The cytokine secretion profile demonstrated by the CYCART-19 cells suggests this combination may elicit reduced CRS potential in patients compared to PBMC derived CAR-T products”

Both the posters were presented by Dr. Anthony Park, from Dr. Saul Priceman’s lab at City of Hope, at the SITC 2022. To check the posters, you may click here.

Management Commentary

Image: © 2022 Kalkine Media®, Data: Company Announcement