On the Road to ASCO: Preview Some Key Presentations
On the cusp of the 2021 American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting, more companies are announcing data presentations that will be made over the four-day conference. BioSpace continues to take a look at some of the data that will be shared.
Naveris, Inc.
Waltham, Mass.-based Naveris will showcase a new clinically validated saliva test that can detect HPV-associated head and neck cancer with high accuracy. Research conducted at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis used the Naveris-developed test to analyze saliva for sequences of the human papillomavirus (HPV) genome specific to HPV DNA released from malignant tumors.
The researchers found that the test could distinguish tumor-tissue-modified virus from non-cancerous sources of HPV DNA. Also, the researchers said the test “precisely measures the number of tumor-tissue modified viral HPV DNA strands” that were present in the saliva sample used.
Naveris said the study demonstrates the potential of the test as an early detection method for one of the most common types of head and neck cancer, HPV-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. The saliva test is based on the NavDx blood test technology, a liquid biopsy test that detects HPV-associated head and neck cancer earlier than imaging techniques.
Piyush Gupta, chief executive officer Naveris, called the saliva test “patient friendly” and said it has the potential to “radically advance early detection of HPV-positive head and neck cancer.” Early detection of these kinds of cancers can make a significant difference in patient outcome, Gupta added.
Intensity Therapeutics
Connecticut-based Intensity Therapeutics will present Phase I/II data from an ongoing study of INT230-6 in refractory patients. INT230-6 is the company’s lead proprietary investigational product candidate designed for direct intratumoral injection.
The drug is composed of two proven, potent anti-cancer agents, cisplatin and vinblastine, as well as a penetration enhancer molecule that helps disperse the drugs throughout tumors for diffusion into cancer cells. INT230-6 is being assessed as a monotherapy and in combination with checkpoint inhibitors (Keytruda and Yervoy) in patients with relapsed, refractory and metastatic solid tumors.
Lewis H. Bender, president and CEO of Intensity, said the results of the study being presented support the potential of INT230-6 in patients with advanced and refractory cancer.
“The data in the first poster show that INT230-6, either as monotherapy or in combination with pembrolizumab (Keytruda), is well tolerated and elicits both direct tumor killing and abscopal effects. The second presentation reports similar results of INT230-6 with or without ipilimumab (Yervoy) in patients with advanced sarcoma, a cancer type with high unmet medical need,” Bender said in a statement.
ImmVira
China’s ImmVira will present data from a Phase I study of MVR-T3011, the company’s proprietary next-generation, genetically modified oncolytic herpes simplex virus, in patients with advanced solid tumors with accessible injectable lesions. The company said preliminary results from the Phase I study show the oncology asset demonstrated a favorable safety profile. Analysis from biopsy samples taken pre-and post-treatment from subjects with accessible lesions showed significant tumor cell reduction. Additionally, the company said there were observations of increased lymphocyte infiltration, indicating on-target anti-tumor activity. Many subjects have achieved stable disease and remain on study, ImmVira said in its announcement.
CBMG Holdings
Hong Kong’s CBMG Holdings announced plans to present abstracts of two CAR-T therapies for blood-based tumors. One abstract will show that C-CAR039, a second-generation 4-1BB bi-specific CAR-T targeting both CD19 and CD20 antigens, demonstrated a favorable safety profile and promising efficacy in this early clinical trial in patients with r/r B-NHL. CBMG said an early efficacy signal is encouraging and compares favorably to anti-CD19 CAR-T and peer therapies.
Additionally, CBMG will present Phase I data of C-CAR066 in subjects with r/r B-NHL who were previously treated with anti-CD19 CAR-T therapy. Data shows that C-CAR066 has a favorable safety profile. Also, the company said there was promising efficacy seen in the Phase I data. These results show that C-CAR066 has a different mechanism of action compared to anti-CD-19 CAR-T therapy. That means it could address the unmet medical need in B-NHL patients that have failed anti-CD19 CAR-T therapy, the company said.