Seattle Genetics Highlights Leadership In Antibody-Drug Conjugate Technology Innovation At AACR Annual Meeting

BOTHELL, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Seattle Genetics, Inc. (Nasdaq: SGEN), a global biotechnology company, today announced its broad presence at the upcoming 108^th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) being held April 1 to 5, 2017, in Washington, D.C., including 14 presentations on antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) and immuno-oncology technology advances and development programs. Data in multiple presentations demonstrate potential improvements in linker technologies for multiple payloads which may enable development of novel ADCs, including the planned clinical program SGN-CD48A for multiple myeloma. The company’s SGN-2FF program was selected for an oral presentation in the New Drugs on the Horizon symposium focusing on the preclinical rationale and phase 1 trial design for this small molecule immuno-oncology agent. Seattle Genetics’ scientific leadership will also be featured in an Educational Session and a Forum focused on advances in ADC research and the value of ADCs over other drug conjugate therapeutics in the cancer treatment landscape.

“In 14 presentations, including four orals, our new data at the AACR Annual Meeting will highlight key improvements to linker technologies for cancer cell-killing payloads, including novel auristatins and tubulysins, preclinical combination regimens with checkpoint inhibitors, and progress with our immuno-oncology therapeutic candidates.”

“Over nearly 20 years, Seattle Genetics has continued its tradition of innovation to produce industry-leading ADC and empowered-antibody technologies designed to improve outcomes for patients with cancer,” said Jonathan Drachman, M.D., Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President, Research and Development, at Seattle Genetics. “In 14 presentations, including four orals, our new data at the AACR Annual Meeting will highlight key improvements to linker technologies for cancer cell-killing payloads, including novel auristatins and tubulysins, preclinical combination regimens with checkpoint inhibitors, and progress with our immuno-oncology therapeutic candidates.”

ADCs are targeted cancer treatments that harness the specificity of antibodies to deliver cell-killing agents directly to cancer cells. ADCETRIS, Seattle Genetics’ first commercially available product, vadastuximab talirine, a phase 3 candidate in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and enfortumab vedotin, an advancing clinical-stage bladder cancer candidate, are three of more than 20 ADCs in clinical development using the company’s proprietary technology.

Multiple oral and poster presentations are being featured at AACR that highlight Seattle Genetics’ ADC and immuno-oncology advances. Abstracts can be found at www.aacr.org and include the following:

Saturday, April 1, 2017

• Expanding the payload scope and drug load of ADCs through drug-linker design (Session #ED03, oral presentation at 2:00 p.m. ET)

Sunday, April 2, 2017

• Antibody-drug conjugates containing glucuronide-tubulysin payloads display activity in MDR+ and heterogeneous tumor models (Abstract #56, poster presentation)
• Reducing toxicity of antibody-drug conjugates through modulation of pharmacokinetics (Abstract #60, poster presentation)
• Elucidating the roles of antibody pharmacokinetics and maleimide stability in the toxicology of antibody-drug conjugates (Abstract #70, poster presentation)
• Development of homogeneous dual-drug ADCs: Application to the co-delivery of auristatin payloads with complementary antitumor activities (Abstract #982, oral presentation at 4:05 p.m. ET)
• SGN-2FF: A Novel Small Molecule Inhibitor of Fucosylation with Preclinical Antitumor Activity through Multiple Immune Mechanisms (Abstract #DDT02-02, oral presentation at 3:24 p.m. ET)

Monday, April 3, 2017

• Cysteine Mutant Location Affects Chemotype Lability in Site-Specific Antibody Drug Conjugates (Abstract #LB-066, poster presentation)
• Targeted Delivery Using Antibody Drug Conjugates (Session #FO01, oral presentation at 5:00 p.m. ET)

Tuesday, April 4, 2017

• Therapeutic activity of effector function-enhanced, non-fucosylated anti-CD40 antibodies in preclinical immune-competent rodent tumor models (Abstract #3647, poster presentation)
• Superior T cell activity of a membrane-proximal binding antibody when targeting Glypican-3 with an Antibody-Coupled T cell Receptor (ACTR) armed T cell (Abstract #3762, poster presentation; collaboration with Unum Therapeutics)
• Effect of PEG Chain length on Antibody-Drug Conjugate Tumor and Tissue Distribution in Tumor Bearing Xenograft Mice (Abstract #4075, poster presentation)
• Efficient targeting of BCMA-positive multiple myeloma cells by Antibody-Coupled T cell Receptor (ACTR) engineered autologous T cells in combination with an anti-BCMA antibody (Abstract #4605, poster presentation; collaboration with Unum Therapeutics)
• Assessment of Myeloblast CD33 Receptor Occupancy (RO) by Vadastuximab Talirine in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) Receiving Monotherapy Treatment (Abstract #CT120, poster presentation)

Wednesday, April 5, 2015

• Brentuximab vedotin-driven immunogenic cell death enhances antitumor immune responses, and is potentiated by PD1 inhibition in vivo (Abstract #5588, poster presentation)

About Seattle Genetics

Seattle Genetics is an innovative biotechnology company that develops and commercializes novel antibody-based therapies for the treatment of cancer. The company’s industry-leading antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) technology harnesses the targeting ability of antibodies to deliver cell-killing agents directly to cancer cells. ADCETRIS^® (brentuximab vedotin), the company’s lead product, in collaboration with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, is the first in a new class of ADCs and is commercially available globally in 66 countries for relapsed classical Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and relapsed systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (sALCL). Seattle Genetics is also advancing vadastuximab talirine (SGN-CD33A; 33A), an ADC in a phase 3 trial for acute myeloid leukemia. Headquartered in Bothell, Washington, Seattle Genetics has a robust pipeline of innovative therapies for blood-related cancers and solid tumors designed to address significant unmet medical needs and improve treatment outcomes for patients. The company has collaborations for its proprietary ADC technology with a number of companies including AbbVie, Astellas, Bayer, Celldex, Genentech, GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer. More information can be found at www.seattlegenetics.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain of the statements made in this press release are forward looking, such as those, among others, relating to the therapeutic potential of Seattle Genetics’ ADC technology platform, including potential future development and evaluation opportunities and Seattle Genetics’ expectations regarding the role of ADCs in the treatment of cancer, as well as other statements that are not historical facts. Actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected or implied in these forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause such a difference include the difficulty and uncertainty of pharmaceutical product development, including the risks that Seattle Genetics may experience delays in its planned clinical trial initiations or otherwise experience failures or setbacks in its ADC development program and that, due to the potential lack of efficacy or risk of adverse events as Seattle Genetics’ ADC product candidates advance in development or other factors, it is possible that none of Seattle Genetics’ ADC product candidates will ever become commercial products. More information about the risks and uncertainties faced by Seattle Genetics is contained under the caption “Risk Factors” included in the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Seattle Genetics disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.