Transgene and BioInvent to present oncolytic virus data at SITC 2021
pharmafile | October 5, 2021 | News story | Manufacturing and Production |
Biotech companies Transgene and BioInvent International AB (BioInvent), have announced that they will present preclinical data on their novel dual mechanism-of-action oncolytic vaccinia virus BT-001, at the 36th Annual Meeting of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC2021). This event will take place from November 10th-14th, in Washington DC.
The poster will be presented on November 13, with the title “Vectorized Treg-depleting aCTLA-4 elicits antigen cross-presentation and CD8+ T cell immunity to reject ‘cold’ tumors.
The two companies are still recruiting for the ongoing Phase I/IIa clinical study of BT-001, and this trial evaluates the virus as a single agent and in combination with pembrolizumab for the treatment of solid tumours. The study is reported to be progressing well.
By selectively targeting the tumour microenvironment, BT-001 is expected to elicit a much stronger and more effective antitumoral response. Through reducing systemic exposure, the safety and tolerability profile of the antibody is expected to be greatly improved, according to MarketScreener.
Transgene designs and develops virus-based immunotherapeutics against cancer, and their programs use viral vector technology with the aim of indirectly or directly killing cancer cells. With its proprietary platform, Invir.IO™, Transgene is building on its viral vector engineering expertise to design a new generation of multifunctional oncolytic viruses.
BioInvent is focused on the discovery and development of novel and first-in-class immune-modulatory antibodies for cancer immunotherapy. The company has three drug candidates in four ongoing clinical programs in Phase I/II trials, for the treatment of hematological cancer and solid tumours.
Initial Phase I data are expected in the first half of 2022.
Lina Adams
