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Author : adminDate : 2022-04-28 09:23

Immunomic Therapeutics approaches First-In-Human Trial for Merkel Cell Carcinoma

An interview with Senior Scientist Claire Rosean of Immunomic Therapeutics was presented at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022 (AACR 2022) on the 26th. The following interview discusses ITI-3000, First-In-Human Trial for Merkel Cell Carcinoma, and the preclinical data

 

Immunomic is a company that is developing dendritic cell vaccine "ITI-1000" targeting malignant glioblastoma, DNA vaccine "ITI-1001", and DNA vaccine "ITI-3000" targeting Merkel Cell Carcinoma based on the cell therapy vaccine platform "UNITE".

 

For ITI-1000, phase II clinical trials (clinical name ATTAC-II) are currently underway at Duke University and the University of Florida, with Drs. John Sampson and Duane Mitchell participating. In phase I trials, the patient's median Overall Survival (mOS) was more than 40 months, showing a significantly higher survival period compared to the conventional treatment (14 months).

 

Christine Batch, MD., PhD., of Duke University, who presented interim results at the 2021 Society for Neuro-Oncology (SNO) Annul Meeting in November last year, said, "We confirmed the high possibility of dendritic cell vaccine for glioblastoma by checking the significant increase in patient survival period after administration of ITI-1000.

 

ITI-3000 is an anticancer vaccine made by combining lysosomal-associated membrane proteins-1 (LAMP-1) with Large T antigen of polyomavirus based on the ‘UNITE’ platform. The phase 1 clinical Investigational New Drug (IND) was approved by the FDA in February, and patient administration will begin next month in an open label method.

 

Claire Rosean, PhD., said, "ITI-3000 led to a strong immune response by increasing killer T cells, NK cells, and NK cells as well as immune cells (CD4+T cells), and it was confirmed that it was effective in improving the tumor microenvironment by promoting the secretion of cytokines such as Interferon gamma (IFN))."

 

Along with Immunomic, Elevar Therapeutics' Phase 2 clinical trial on Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma (ACC, 1L) and Phase 3 clinical trial of Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HC, 1L) on Rivoceranib are expected to reach the end, and the corporate value of HLB, the largest shareholder, is expected to rise significantly. Global clinical trial of Rivoceranib (ACC, HC) and the second phase of ITI-1000 clinical trials are expected to be completed this year, and sales revenue is expected to increase, such as an increase in Rivoceranib royalties from Hengrui Medicine of China and the start of sales of Apealea (paclitaxel micellar).

 

HLB Group's U.S. bio companies include Elevar Therapeutics, developing targeted anticancer drugs, Immunomic Therapeutics, developing various immune anticancer drugs based on "UNITE," and Verismo Therapeutics, developing next-generation CAR-T treatments.

 

A company official said, "As new drug candidates begin the licensing process for commercialization one by one this year, it will be the starting point for HLB to be known in earnest to the global pharmaceutical industry."

 

HLB posted sales of 63,438 million KRW in the first quarter of this year, growing 1,052% year-on-year, and its operating profit also reached 18,868 million KRW, marking the largest-ever performance. Attention is focusing on whether HLB's achievements will guide the growth of the bio industry in Korea once again.