During an R&D presentation Tuesday, Transgene executives and oncology experts highlighted promising therapeutic progress in its programs - focusing on its developmental cancer vaccines.
Transgene‘s developmental cancer vaccines could play a unique role in preventing disease relapse, according to the French biopharma company. During an R&D presentation Tuesday, its executives and oncology experts highlighted promising therapeutic progress in its programs.
TG4001, a potential vaccine for HPV16-positive cancers and TG4050, which is in Phase I development for ovarian and head and neck cancer, were highlighted during the presentation. Available data shows the potential for disease regression.
Transgene Chief Medical Officer Maud Brandeley said immuno-oncology has become a key tool in the battle against cancer, alongside chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery.
She also noted that cancer vaccines represent a new therapeutic option for cancer. Transgene’s individualized cancer vaccine can target up to 30 antigens maximizing efficacy and lowering the risk of tumor immune escape.
“We believe virus-based cancer vaccines are potential game changers when targeting the right tumor antigens,” Brandeley said. “This is an attractive concept designed to invoke a specific immune response.
Transgene Chief Executive Officer Hedi Ben Brahim concurred, saying specialized cancer vaccines have the potential to “change the landscape” in the treatment of cancer.
Ben Brahim pointed to the company’s use of artificial intelligence capabilities that enhance the antigen selection for improved efficacy outcomes, which the company is seeing in TG4001, currently in Phase Ib/II and TG4050.
Beyond available clinical data to date, Ben Brahim said he is confident multiple “value adding clinical milestones” will be achieved over the next 18 months.
The company anticipates results from an interim analysis of Phase II data from the ongoing trial assessing TG4001 in HPV-positive anogenital cancers will be available in the fourth quarter of this year.
The trial includes 50 patients who have been randomized to receive a combination of TG4001 and Pfizer’s Bavencio (avelumab) or Bavencio alone. Transgene aims to demonstrate that the combination treatment will improve progression-free survival and overall patient survival.
The available data showed TG4001 and avelumab demonstrated anti-tumor activity in the overall patient population. One patient exhibited a complete response as his cancer and peritoneal extension disappeared. Seven partial responses were observed.
Available analyses reveal that metastatic patients without liver metastases saw greater benefits. Data showed a 32% ORR with a median PFS of 5.6 months. This was compared to Bavencio alone, which saw a median PFS of 1.4 months. Median OS was 13.3 months compared to 7.5 months.
“These viral vectors can be transformational when treating cancer,” Eric Quemeneur, chief scientific officer, said.
Designing cancer vaccines is an art form, Quemeneur noted. It requires the combining of the correct antigens with the selection of the most suitable target populations. Significant research and experimentation has turned this art form into a scientific opportunity, he said.
In studies of TG4050, Brandeley noted the trials are focusing on patients in clinical remission with minimal disease. For these patients, there is a high risk for disease relapse. The goal is to increase and extend remission periods and possibly prevent relapse. In the Phase I studies of TG4050, the vaccines are 100% tumor-specific, she reported.
Available data showed patients treated with the TG4050 had a vaccine-specific immune response. The vaccine also had a promising safety profile. Data presented at ASCO in June showed 100% of patients experienced a specific cellular response associated with disease regression as of the data cut-off date.
