Source: Genprex, Inc. July, 1, 2019
Genprex, Inc. (NASDAQ: GNPX),
a clinical stage gene therapy company, today provided an update on
development of its lead drug candidate, Oncoprex™ immunogene therapy, in
combination with immunotherapy for the treatment of non-small cell lung
cancer (NSCLC).
In July 2018, the company entered a Sponsored Research Agreement with
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (“MD Anderson”) to
fund a research study entitled, “A Novel Therapeutic Approach for the
Treatment of Cancer Using a Combination of the Multifactorial Tumor
Suppressor Gene TUSC2 and Immunotherapy.” The TUSC2 gene is the active
agent in Genprex’s Oncoprex immunogene therapy. The study was budgeted
to cost $2.03 million.
The study aimed to develop a novel therapeutic approach for the
treatment of cancer using a combination of the tumor suppressor gene
TUSC2 and immunotherapy, including immune checkpoint inhibitors and
anti-PD1 and/or anti-CTLA-4 antibodies. A specific objective of the
study was to validate therapeutic efficacy of the TUSC2 and immune
checkpoint blockade combination in humanized cancer mouse models. This
milestone was completed with positive results presented in a poster by
Genprex’s collaborators from MD Anderson at the American Association of
Cancer
Research Meeting in April 2019, which is available on the company’s website.
Research under the Sponsored Research Agreement is continuing. Further
aims of the research include evaluating TUSC2 in combination with
immunostimulatory adjuvants and targeted small molecule drugs.
Additional goals of the study also include identification of biomarkers
that predict response to TUSC2-immunotherapy combinations
Based on data from this study and data from prior clinical and
pre-clinical studies, Genprex is working with its Scientific Advisory
Board and outside consultants to design a clinical trial for the study
of Oncoprex in combination with a checkpoint inhibitor for treatment of
non-small cell lung cancer, with the goal of being in a position to
enroll patients in the first quarter of 2020.
“Recent studies have shown
that less than half of cancer patients qualify for approved
immunotherapies based on the patient’s PD-1 or PD-L1 protein expression
level,” said Julien Pham, President and Chief Operating Officer of
Genprex. “Current immunotherapy treatment is only benefitting a small
number of cancer patients. We are working to fill this gap by combining
our lead drug candidate with approved immunotherapies to give patients
more treatment options. The preclinical studies have shown encouraging
data that this combination could be a viable treatment option for
late-stage non-small cell lung cancer.”
About Genprex, Inc.
Genprex, Inc. is a clinical stage gene therapy company developing
potentially life-changing technologies for cancer patients, based upon a
unique proprietary technology platform, including Genprex’s initial
product candidate, Oncoprex™ immunogene therapy for non-small cell lung
cancer (NSCLC). Genprex’s platform technologies are designed to
administer cancer fighting genes by encapsulating them into nanoscale
hollow spheres called nanovesicles, which are then administered
intravenously and taken up by tumor cells where they express proteins
that are missing or found in low quantities. Oncoprex has a multimodal
mechanism of action whereby it interrupts cell signaling pathways that
cause replication and proliferation of cancer cells, re-establishes
pathways for apoptosis, or programmed cell death, in cancer cells, and
modulates the immune response against cancer cells. Oncoprex has also
been shown to block mechanisms that create drug resistance. Visit the
company’s web site at www.genprex.com or follow Genprex on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
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