Scancell Holdings Plc Preparing SCIB2 for clinical study in lung cancer (0748M)
October 10 2016 - 1:00AM
UK Regulatory
TIDMSCLP
RNS Number : 0748M
Scancell Holdings Plc
10 October 2016
10 October 2016
Scancell Holdings Plc
("Scancell" or the "Company")
Scancell preparing SCIB2 for clinical study in lung cancer
-- SCIB2 will be developed for the treatment of non-small cell
lung cancer in combination with a checkpoint inhibitor
-- Latest SCIB2 data published in peer-reviewed journal
OncoImmunology confirms potent anti-tumour activity was further
enhanced by checkpoint blockade
-- Extension of clinical application from melanoma to lung
cancer highlights potential of ImmunoBody(R) platform technology to
target broad range of cancers
Scancell Holdings plc, ('Scancell' or the 'Company') the
developer of novel immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer,
today announces its intention to develop its SCIB2 ImmunoBody(R)
for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in
combination with a checkpoint inhibitor. Scancell's Board approved
the decision based on the outstanding results from the SCIB1
melanoma clinical trial which extended several years beyond the
original completion date due to the unexpectedly long survival
times. Planning for Phase I/II clinical trials in NSCLC is
currently underway.
The latest data on SCIB2 has recently been published in
OncoImmunology(1) , a highly regarded journal at the frontier
between oncology and immunology. The results confirmed that SCIB2,
an ImmunoBody(R) encoding NY-ESO-1 epitopes, induced potent
anti-tumour immunity which was further enhanced by checkpoint
blockade.
Prof Lindy Durrant, Chief Scientific Officer of Scancell, said:
"Our clinical experience with the first ImmunoBody(R), SCIB1, in
the melanoma setting will greatly facilitate planning and execution
of our planned lung cancer clinical trials with SCIB2. We believe
that success with this clinical programme will highlight that
ImmunoBody(R) has the potential to be applicable to cancers with
very different characteristics and underlying genetics."
Dr Richard Goodfellow, Chief Executive Officer of Scancell,
said: "It is recognised that the successful exploitation of novel
therapeutic mechanisms, such as that underlying our ImmunoBody(R)
platform, will be critical to further improving the poor mortality
rates of patients with lung cancer. The data we have generated to
date with the SCIB2 ImmunoBody(R) suggest that it should be well
tolerated and be an ideal complement to existing and emerging
portfolios of checkpoint inhibitor therapies in the treatment of
NSCLC."
The Company will now begin to assemble a lung cancer
investigator team in the United States to assist in finalising the
clinical trial design.
Lung cancer remains one of the most prevalent and difficult to
treat cancers in need of novel therapeutic approaches. According to
the Bonnie Addario Lung Cancer Foundation, one of the largest
philanthropic organisations targeting the disease, more than
228,000 people are diagnosed with lung cancer in the United States
alone, and more 160,000 will go on to die. Lung cancer accounts for
27% of all cancer deaths, more than breast, prostate and colon
cancers combined.(2) ImmunoBody(R) is designed to be used to
complement existing treatments in combination approaches, but may
also be valuable where current treatments are either unsuitable or
unavailable.
(1) SCIB2, an antibody DNA vaccine encoding NY-ESO-1 epitopes,
induces potent antitumor immunity which is further enhanced by
checkpoint blockade. Xue W, Metheringham RL, Brentville VA, Gunn B,
Symonds P, Yagita H, Ramage JM, Durrant LG. OncoImmunology. 2016
Apr 22;5(6):e1169353. doi: 10.1080/2162402X.2016.1169353.
eCollection 2016 Jun. PMID: 27471648
(2) Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation
(http://www.lungcancerfoundation.org/about-us/lung-cancer-facts/)
For Further Information:
Scancell Holdings Plc
Dr John Chiplin, Executive
Chairman +1 858 900 2646
Dr Richard Goodfellow, Scancell Holdings +44 (0) 20 3727
CEO Plc 1000
Freddy Crossley (Corporate +44 (0) 20 7886
Finance) 2500
Tom Salvesen (Corporate Panmure Gordon +44 (0) 20 7886
Broking) & Co 2500
+44 (0) 20 3727
Mo Noonan/Simon Conway FTI Consulting 1000
About ImmunoBody(R)
ImmunoBody(R) is an injectable DNA based immunotherapy with a
customizable targeting mechanism for multiple specific cancer
types. Two additional major practical advantages of ImmunoBody(R)
are a limited to a benign toxicity profile and a relatively low
cost of manufacture.
About Scancell
Scancell is developing novel immunotherapies for the treatment
of cancer based on its ImmunoBody(R) and Moditope(R) technology
platforms.
Scancell's first ImmunoBody(R), SCIB1 is being developed for the
treatment of melanoma. Data from the Phase 1/2 clinical trial
demonstrate that SCIB1, when used as monotherapy, has a marked
effect on tumour load, produces a melanoma-specific immune response
and highly encouraging survival trend without serious side effects.
In patients with resected disease there is increasing evidence to
suggest that SCIB1 may delay or prevent disease recurrence.
Pre-clinical data on a combination of SCIB1 or SCIB2 and
checkpoint inhibition (blockade of the PD-1 or CTLA-4 immune
checkpoint pathways) have shown enhanced tumour destruction and
significantly longer survival times than when either treatment was
used alone.
Scancell's ImmunoBody(R) treatments target dendritic cells and
stimulate both parts of the cellular immune system: the helper cell
system where inflammation is stimulated at the tumour site and the
cytotoxic T-lymphocyte or CTL response where immune system cells
are primed to recognise and kill specific cells.
Scancell has also identified and patented a series of modified
epitopes that stimulate the production of killer CD4+ T cells that
destroy tumours without toxicity. Add more information on lead
product, Modi-1. The Directors believe that the Moditope(R)
platform could play a major role in the development of safe and
effective cancer immunotherapies in the future.
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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October 10, 2016 02:00 ET (06:00 GMT)