ONCURIOUS I-O Portfolio Directed at Boosting T Cell Influx and Activity in Solid Tumors Announcing First Preclinical Proof o...
22 Ottobre 2020 - 6:47PM
ONCURIOUS I-O Portfolio Directed at Boosting T Cell Influx and
Activity in Solid Tumors Announcing First Preclinical Proof of
Concept in Proprietary CCR8 Treg Program
- Strategic focus of immuno-oncology
(I-O) portfolio on modulation of tumor microenvironment to enhance
T cell influx and activity in immune excluded solid tumors, aspects
that immune checkpoint inhibitors do not address.
- Preclinical Proof of Concept for
Company’s priority I-O program, aiming at depleting regulatory T
cells (Tregs) by targeting C-C motif chemokine receptor 8
(CCR8)
- Initiating lead optimization phase
in proprietary CCR8 Treg Program.
- Preclinical development of
therapeutic antibody program expected to start in early 2021.
Leuven, Belgium
- October
22,
2020 - 6.45
PM CET, ONCURIOUS NV, a Belgium-based biotech company
focused on developing innovative immune-oncology treatments, today
presents its strategy directed at boosting T cell migration,
infiltration and activity into solid tumors, and
announces that it has reached preclinical proof of concept and
has entered the lead optimization phase with its proprietary CCR8
Treg program.
This important milestone follows Oncurious’
decision to focus its development activities on a pipeline of
promising novel immune-oncology targets and drug discovery
projects.
Oncurious scientists, in collaboration with
world-class immuno-oncology experts in T cell and endothelial cell
biology – Prof. Dr. Gabriele Bergers (VIB-KU Leuven), Prof. Dr.
Massimiliano Mazzone (VIB-KU Leuven) and Prof. Dr. Jo Van
Ginderachter (VIB-VUB), and the drug discovery unit at VIB, are
building a pipeline of proprietary investigational I-O therapies
with distinct mode of actions.
The team has discovered a potent and diverse
panel of leads targeting human CCR8, has reached preclinical proof
of concept and is entering the final lead optimization stages
nearing preclinical candidate selection. Oncurious is now
accelerating its efforts towards initiation of preclinical
development of the therapeutic antibody program in early 2021.
CCR8 has been validated to be a
tumor-infiltrating Treg-specific marker in solid tumors in both
patients and animal models, making it the preferred target for
therapeutic depletion of Tregs in cancer.
Oncurious’ CCR8 leads have been generated using
an antibody technology platform that has been validated and
used for more than a decade to generate high quality binders
against G-protein coupled receptors. Molecules discovered using
this technology were tested in several preclinical tumor models,
and showed that targeting CCR8, depleted Tregs specifically in the
tumor microenvironment and resulted in strong anti-tumor responses
in monotherapy as well as in combination with anti-PD1. The
treatments led to the establishment of immunological memory.
Next to the anti-CCR8 program, Oncurious is
focusing on 2 other programs aimed at boosting anti-tumor T cell
influx and activity in immune excluded tumors. Exclusion of T cells
is an immunosuppressive mechanism commonly used by cancers to evade
the immune system and as such is an attractive target for new
therapeutic modalities.
The company expects to make further
announcements regarding its progress in the near future.
Patrik De Haes, M.D., Executive Chairman
of ONCURIOUS NV comments, “I am excited about the
future of Oncurious based on its portfolio of novel, differentiated
I-O therapies. The company’s approach is to generate novel drug
candidates to treat immune excluded solid tumors that are not
adequately addressed by immune checkpoint inhibitors, which are
rapidly becoming the mainstay of cancer therapy. Today we are
announcing significant progress in both hit and lead generation
against novel I-O targets, including CCR8, which we believe could
play a key role in the development of innovative immunotherapies to
overcome solid tumor resistance. Working with leading scientists in
the field, we aim to be at the forefront of a new wave of the I-O
revolution and are confident that by delivering on our goals we can
build Oncurious into a company of significant value in the years
ahead. We look forward to updating you on our further
progress.”
Jérôme Van Biervliet, Managing Director at VIB
comments: “We are very pleased to see Oncurious’
anti-CCR8 antibody reach this important step towards preclinical
development, not least thanks to the model collaboration with VIB
Discovery Sciences. Side-by-side with the Oncurious team,
they are accelerating a promising pipeline of investigational
immuno-oncology therapies.”
- END –
For further information please
contact:
Oncurious NVWouter Piepers, Investor Relations& Corporate
CommunicationsTel: +32 478 33 56
32wouter.piepers@oncurious.com |
VIBElisabeth StesExternal Relations Manager+32 9 244 66 11 / +32
486 82 59 02elisabeth.stes@vib.be |
Citigate Dewe Rogerson David Dible/ Sylvie Berrebi/Frazer HallTel:
+44 20 7638 9571oncurious@citigatedewerogerson.com |
About ONCURIOUS
Oncurious is a Belgium-based biotech company
focused on developing innovative oncology treatments derived
from a series of promising new targets that are designed to
enhance T cell activity, migration and influx into resistant tumour
sites, boosting the patient’s own immune response against cancer.
The company's lead immuno oncology asset is a Treg-depleting
asset, targeting a protein specifically expressed on Tregs in the
tumour microenvironment. The program is in lead optimization. The
company's two other programs are focused on T cell migration and
are in the discovery stages.
Immuno-oncology made a major step forward in the
treatment of cancer with the advent of immune checkpoint
inhibitors, which are expected to represent a market opportunity of
$50bn by 2025 (GlobalData 2020). Despite this clinical and
commercial success, there remains an important need to develop new
I-O approaches that improve efficacy, overcome resistance, and that
can synergize with checkpoint inhibitors so that more patients with
solid tumors can benefit from these life-saving therapies.
Oncurious' early stage pipeline of novel
immune-oncology programs offer the potential to overcome tumor
resistance mechanisms, that current immune checkpoint inhibitors
cannot address, and thereby significantly enhance the responses to
immunotherapy across multiple tumor types.
More information: www.oncurious.com
About VIBVIB is an
excellence-based entrepreneurial research institute in life
sciences located in Flanders, Belgium. VIB’s basic research leads
to new and innovative insights into normal and pathological life
processes. It unites the expertise of all its collaborators and
research groups in a single institute, firmly based on its close
partnership with 5 Flemish universities (Ghent University, KU
Leuven, University of Antwerp, Vrije Universiteit Brussel and
Hasselt University) and supported by a solid funding program from
the Flemish government.
VIB has an excellent track record on translating
basic scientific results into pharmaceutical, agricultural and
industrial applications. Since its foundation in 1996, VIB has
created 25 start-up companies, now employing over 900 people. The
link between basic research and valorisation has made VIB a
catalyst for the ever-growing biotech hotspot in Flanders. In
recent years, numerous biotech companies — both large and small —
have settled down in the region, thanks to top-notch infrastructure
set up and provided by VIB and the ready availability of new
scientific talent from the VIB labs.
More information: www.vib.be
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