EDV™ Technology Stimulates Both Innate and Adaptive Immune Response and Confers Long-Term Survival
Research Paves Way for Treatment of Drug-Resistant, End-Stage Cancers
NEW YORK and SYDNEY, March 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- EnGeneIC Limited, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company advancing its proprietary EDV™ nanocell platform for targeted cyto-immunotherapy in cancer, today announced that the prestigious peer-reviewed journal Cancer Cell has published a scientific paper, authored by EnGeneIC's research team, entitled "Cyto-Immuno-Therapy for Cancer: A Pathway Elicited by Tumor-Targeted, Cytotoxic Drug-Packaged Bacterially Derived Nanocell." The paper describes how the EnGeneIC Dream Vector (EDV™) technology stimulates both an innate and an adaptive immune response and creates a dual method of action that could result in long-term survival. Additionally, Cancer Cell will display the EDV's immunotherapy mechanism of action as this month's cover art.
The immuno-oncology field has been focused largely on chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapies or checkpoint inhibitors, both designed to enable cytotoxic T-cells to target cancer cells. However, research shows that T-cells are only part of the story. Achieving a robust anti-tumor immune response requires the stimulation of several different types of immune cells. The EnGeneIC research paper describes how the company's targeted EDV™ nanocells combine cytotoxicity by virtue of their chemotherapy payload, and at the same time incite a totally novel and more complete anti-tumor immune response. The EDVs stimulate an innate immune response by activating macrophages, natural killer cells and dendritic cells with a subsequent adaptive immune response resulting from recruitment of specific CD8+ tumor killing T-cells into the tumor microenvironment. This work paves the way for treatment of even drug-resistant, end-stage cancers across many tumor types with little or no toxicity, and for a fraction of the cost compared to other immunotherapies capable of treating only a limited number of cancer indications.
Himanshu Brahmbhatt, Ph.D., co-Chief Executive of EnGeneIC and the study's senior author, stated, "The EnGeneIC team is excited by the publication of its latest scientific paper in Cancer Cell. For the first time, we show that one therapeutic has the ability to carry a toxic payload to kill cancer cells and also jump-start the depleted immune system. This two-prong attack is showing preliminary success in early human trials."
Clinical trials are now underway in Australia evaluating EDV™ in multiple cancer indications, including pancreatic cancer patients with stage IV disease who have exhausted curative treatment options. The trial also has a second all-comers cohort for patients suffering with a variety of other a late-stage EGFR-expressing solid tumors.
Dr. Brahmbhatt continued, "EDV™ treatment is not a piecemeal approach to cancer – all the key immune cells required for an assault on the tumor are stimulated. When we depleted each of these cell types, the anti-tumor effect was diminished. As well as delineating the novel mechanism of action in mouse models of cancer, our paper describes two patients who responded with an anti-tumor immune response. We look forward to advancing the development of our EDV™ nanocell technology platform to bring hope to those patients most in need."
The Cancer Cell article is available to view at the following link: https://www.cell.com/cancer-cell/home
About EnGeneIC and the EDV™ Nanocell Technology
EnGeneIC is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company advancing its proprietary bacterially-derived EDV™ (EnGeneIC Dream Vector) nanocells as a powerful nanoparticle drug, siRNA, or miRNA delivery platform designed to directly target and effectively kill tumor cells with minimal toxicity, while simultaneously stimulating the immune system's innate and adaptive anti- tumor response. EnGeneIC is now in Phase 2a clinical trials in patients with intractable cancers, including patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. EnGeneIC is currently planning to commence further clinical trials in Australia and USA. The company was recognized as the Most Innovative Company in Drug Delivery by FierceBiotech and FiercePharma for 2019, and Australian Financial Review's most Innovative Company and Innovative Program in Healthcare in 2019. EnGeneIC was also featured in the December 2019 issue of InsightsCare magazine as "The Top 10 Nanotech Companies to Watch." For more information, please visit www.engeneic.com.
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