Highlights:
- Preventative Potential: POLB 001 demonstrated success in reducing cytokine release syndrome (CRS) severity in preclinical models.
- Clinical Accessibility: The drug could broaden access to cancer immunotherapies, making outpatient treatments safer and more feasible.
- Upcoming Presentation: Poolbeg will present these findings at the American Society of Hematology's Annual Meeting in December.
Poolbeg Pharma PLC (LSE:POLB) is set to share promising preclinical data on its drug candidate, POLB 001, at the upcoming 66th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting, scheduled from December 7 in San Diego. POLB 001 has shown significant potential in preclinical models to reduce the severity of cytokine release syndrome (CRS), a serious inflammatory response that affects more than 70% of patients undergoing advanced cancer therapies like CAR T cell treatments and bispecific antibody therapies.
In laboratory settings, POLB 001 effectively mitigated CRS severity, as demonstrated in mouse models. CRS often leads to extended hospital stays and increased mortality rates, creating a substantial barrier to making these advanced cancer therapies widely accessible. Patients affected by CRS typically require treatment at specialized cancer centers, limiting broader access to these life-saving therapies.
Poolbeg’s results indicate that POLB 001 could serve as a preventative treatment for CRS, potentially allowing for more flexible administration of immunotherapies, including in outpatient settings. This improvement could significantly reduce the burdens associated with advanced immunotherapies and make them more accessible and affordable for patients, particularly in non-specialized centers.
Mark Sumeray, consultant clinical advisor to Poolbeg, emphasized the potential impact of POLB 001: “These data underscore the potential for POLB 001 to prevent or reduce the severity of CRS. If this effect is demonstrated in the clinic, this would enable broader, safer delivery of cancer immunotherapies, including in an out-patient setting. We look forward to sharing these important findings with the global haematology community at ASH.”
The presentation at ASH will place Poolbeg Pharma in the spotlight of the hematology and oncology communities, underscoring POLB 001’s potential to address a significant unmet need in the safe administration of cancer immunotherapies. If these promising results translate to clinical settings, POLB 001 could reshape how advanced cancer treatments are delivered, with far-reaching implications for healthcare access and patient outcomes.