NOX-A12 penetrates cancer tissue and triggers immune response in both tumor types with greater target neutralization correlated with improved immune profiles in the tumor microenvironment
NOX-A12 penetrates cancer tissue and triggers immune response in both tumor types with greater target neutralization correlated with improved immune profiles in the tumor microenvironment
Berlin, Germany, October 2, 2018, 6.00 p.m. CEST -- NOXXON Pharma N.V.(Euronext Growth Paris: ALNOX), a biotechnology company focused on improving cancer treatments by targeting the tumor microenvironment (TME), announced today that it is presenting top-line data of the ongoing clinical trial (NCT03168139) testing NOX-A12 alone (part 1) and available safety data from the combination of NOX-A12 with Merck & Co./MSD’s Keytruda® (pembrolizumab) (part 2) in patients with metastatic, microsatellite-stable pancreatic and colorectal cancer later today at the Fourth CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR International Cancer lmmunotherapy Conference in New York, NY, USA.
Main conclusions from the part 1 data are:
- NOX-A12 penetrates the tumor microenvironment in both pancreatic and colorectal cancer tissue, where it binds and neutralizes its target CXCL12
- Changes in the cytokine signature clearly indicate that NOX-A12 modulates the tumor microenvironment and induces an immune-stimulatory Th1-like immune response in approximately 50% of patients with analyzable serial biopsies
- There is a statistically significant correlation between the degree of target inhibition in tumor tissue and the changes in the cytokine and chemokine immune profiles
- A cell population, double-positive for the surface markers CD14 & CD15, has been identified which could potentially serve as a biomarker to predict immune response upon NOX-A12 treatment.
Additionally, to date, the safety profile of NOX-A12 combined with pembrolizumab is consistent with that of pembrolizumab monotherapy in advanced cancer patients.
“We are very pleased to see what appears to be a clear response to the increased neutralization of NOX-A12’s target in the analyzed tumor biopsy tissues. The design of the NOX-A12 monotherapy part of the study has provided NOXXON with data enabling a better understanding of the relationship between dose and tissue penetration and which complementary mechanisms of action merit further investigation,” said Jarl Ulf Jungnelius, Chief Medical Officer of NOXXON Pharma.
“We are looking forward to discussing this data with the experts at the Fourth CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference. Later this year, once we obtain efficacy data from all patients in part 2 of the trial, testing NOX-A12 in combination with Keytruda®, we will focus on the correlation between the tissue immune reactions and the clinical responses,” said Aram Mangasarian, Chief Executive Officer of NOXXON Pharma.
The poster is online at www.noxxon.com: NOX-A12 Poster 4th CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR
For more information, please contact:
NOXXON Pharma N.V.
Aram Mangasarian, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer
Tel. +49 (0) 30 726 247 0
amangasarian@noxxon.com
MC Services AG
Raimund Gabriel, Managing Partner
Tel. +49 (0) 89 210228 0
noxxon@mc-services.eu
Trophic Communications
Gretchen Schweitzer or Jacob Verghese
Tel. +49 (0) 89 2388 7730 or +49 (0) 173 364 1607
schweitzer@trophic.eu
NewCap
Alexia Faure
Tel. +33 (0) 1 44 71 98 51
afaure@newcap.fr
About NOXXON
NOXXON’s oncology-focused pipeline acts on the tumor microenvironment (TME) and the cancer immunity cycle by breaking the tumor protection barrier, blocking tumor repair and exposing hidden tumor cells. Through neutralizing chemokines in the tumor microenvironment, NOXXON’s approach works in combination with other forms of treatment to weaken tumor defenses against the immune system and enable greater therapeutic impact. Building on extensive clinical experience and safety data, the lead program NOX-A12 will deliver top-line data from a Keytruda®combination trial in metastatic colorectal and pancreatic cancer patients in 2018. The company plans to initiate further studies with NOX-A12 in brain cancer in combination with radiotherapy, for which an orphan drug status has been granted in the US and EU. The company’s second asset, NOX-E36 is a Phase 2 TME asset targeting the innate immune system. NOXXON plans to test NOX-E36 in pancreatic cancer patients both as a monotherapy and in combination. Further information can be found at: www.noxxon.com
Keytruda® is a registered trademark of Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp.
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