On May 24, 2024 Shanghai Juncell Therapeutics Co., Ltd. (Juncell Therapeutics), a clinical-stage biotech developing innovative Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocyte (TIL) therapies for cancers, reported latest clinical research results on GC203 (a novel non-viral vector gene-modified TIL therapy engineered with membrane-bound IL-7) (Press release, Juncell Therapeutics, MAY 24, 2024, View Source [SID1234643696]). These data will be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting taking place on May 31 – June 4, 2024.

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Researchers tested GC203 on patients diagnosed with recurrent ovarian cancer, without the combination of IL-2 administration or aggressive lymphodepletion. The objective of the study was to determine the safety and efficacy of this treatment. A total of 20 patients were enrolled between 09/2021 and 01/2024 in the open-label single-center trial, in which 18 patients were evaluable. The evaluable patients were with an ECOG PS of 1 (55.6%) or 2 (44.4%) and received a median of 5 previous systemic therapies (range: 2-11). 9 (50%) patients had 3 or more tumor lesions. The median target lesion size was 57 (range: 13-146) mm.

GC203 showed promising results in patients with recurrent or metastatic ovarian cancer. The safety profile was improved significantly compared with conventional TIL therapies, thanks to a low-intensity pretreatment and the elimination of IL-2 combination. Most of the Adverse Events (AEs) were grade 1 or grade 2 and could be alleviated or cured by symptomatic treatment. No grade 5 event occurred. By the cutoff date of 01/2024, the investigator-assessed Objective Response Rate (ORR) was 33.3% (95% CI: 16.3 – 56.3), including 11.1% Complete Response (CR). The Disease Control Rate (DCR) was 83.3% (95% CI, 60.8 – 94.2). And the 12-month Overall Survival (OS) rate was 68.8% (95% CI: 49.3 – 95.9). The median OS was not mature as data cut-off.

Presentation Details

Abstract Number: 5552

Abstract Title: A phase I single-arm, open-label trial of engineering tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes with membrane-bound lL-7 for recurrent ovarian cancer.

Session Type and Title: Poster Session – Gynecologic Oncology

Poster Presentation Time: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM CDT, June 3, 2024

Presenter: Dr. Jing Guo, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital

The abstract is available on the ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) website.

About Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer has the highest mortality rate among gynecologic cancers. 70% of patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage. 70% of patients with advanced ovarian cancer have a survival time of less than five years. More than 200,000 people worldwide die from ovarian cancer each year, indicating a significant unmet clinical need. The primary treatment for advanced ovarian cancer is platinum-based chemotherapy. Ovarian cancer is insensitive to immunotherapy, with an ORR of less than 10%. Effective treatment options are limited.

About GC203

GC203 is a novel non-viral vector gene-modified TIL therapy developed leveraging Juncell Therapeutics’ proprietary DeepTIL cell expansion platform and NovaGMP gene modification platform. DeepTIL enables TILs to be potent enough that no IL-2 combination will be required after infusion, and the intensity of pretreatment could be lower. NovaGMP modifies T cells with a high efficiency comparable with the Lentiviral vector in an economic way. GC203 is engineered with self-associating membrane-bound interleukin-7, which can maintain the stemness of memory T cells, activate internal immune cells and avoid systemic toxicities.

On May 24, 2024 Lunit (KRX:328130.KQ), a leading provider of AI-powered solutions for cancer diagnostics and therapeutics, reported the presentation of seven studies at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) 2024 Annual Meeting in Chicago, from May 31 to June 4 (Press release, Lunit, MAY 24, 2024, View Source [SID1234643695]). Lunit will present detailed findings on several innovative studies, including the identification of HER2 ultra-low expression in breast cancer using AI-based quantification, and a deep learning-based model integrating chest CT and histopathology analysis for predicting immunotherapy response in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

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In a poster presentation, Lunit’s AI-powered HER2 analyzer, Lunit SCOPE HER2, demonstrated the ability to identify HER2 ultra-low expression and differentiate it from true HER2-negative cases in breast cancer patients using continuous subcellular quantification from HER2 immunohistochemistry (IHC) images.

According to findings presented at ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) 2022, HER2-targeted antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) can effectively target tumor cells even in HER2-low breast cancers. This highlights the importance of accurately identifying HER2-low and HER2 ultra-low expression in breast cancer, especially for patients previously classified as HER2-negative. In response, Lunit developed an AI-based whole-slide image (WSI) analyzer for IHC-stained slides to differentiate between true HER2-negative and HER2 ultra-low cases. The AI model evaluated over 67 million tumor cells and 119 million non-tumor cells from 401 WSIs, identifying a significant proportion of HER2 ultra-low cases among pathologist-assessed HER2 score 0 cases. This AI-powered analysis could expand and refine treatment options for patients with HER2-targeted therapies, as demonstrated by the 23.6% of HER2 score 0 cases identified as HER2 ultra-low by AI, and the 51.9% of HER2 score 1+ cases classified as HER2 low by AI, comparable to the 52.3% objective response rate to a HER2-targeted ADC observed in another clinical trial.

In another study, Lunit developed and validated an AI model that analyzes patients’ chest CT images alone and in combination with pathology images to predict Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor (ICI) response in NSCLC patients. Lunit’s deep learning-based chest CT prediction model, developed using data from 1,876 NSCLC patients treated with ICIs, predicted treatment response based on pre-treatment chest CT scans, along with PD-L1 status and immune phenotype. The model demonstrated significant predictive power as an independent biomarker. Patients predicted as responders by the AI model showed significantly longer median time to the next treatment (TTNT; 7 months vs. 2.5 months) and a longer overall survival (OS; 16.5 months vs. 7.6 months) compared to patients predicted as non-responders. Combining the AI CT model with histopathologic biomarkers such as PD-L1 expression and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) further enhanced prediction accuracy, highlighting the complementary strengths of imaging and pathology data in improving predictive models for ICI response.

A collaborative study with Stanford University School of Medicine examined the association of immune phenotypes with outcomes after immunotherapy in metastatic melanoma, highlighting the heterogeneity of immune phenotypes across melanoma subtypes.

Another study with Northwestern University utilized AI-powered analysis of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) in H&E whole-slide images to predict immunotherapy response in NSCLC patients. This demonstrated AI’s potential in identifying predictive biomarkers for survival outcomes.

"At ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) 2024, Lunit proudly presents seven groundbreaking studies that illustrate our pioneering role in AI-driven precision oncology," said Brandon Suh, CEO of Lunit. "From HER2 quantification to predictive models for immunotherapy response, our work is transforming oncology by making cancer treatment not just personalized but predictive, ensuring the best possible outcomes for patients worldwide."

In addition to the studies above, Lunit will present three more studies at this year’s ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper), demonstrating the diverse capabilities of the Lunit SCOPE suite. The studies include comprehensive histopathomic prediction models for early breast cancer, and hypothetical test-and-control group generation for treatment selection in TPS-high NSCLC.

Visit Lunit at booth IH22 to discover how the Lunit SCOPE suite is revolutionizing oncology research and clinical practice.

Presentations at ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) 2024 featuring Lunit SCOPE include:

"Identification of HER2 ultra-low based on an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered HER2 subcellular quantification from HER2 immunohistochemistry images" (1115, Poster Board #93)
"Deep learning–based chest CT model to predict treatment response to immune checkpoint inhibitors in non-small cell lung cancer independently and additively to histopathological biomarkers" (8536, Poster Board #400)
"Artificial intelligence (AI) –powered H&E whole-slide image (WSI) analysis to predict recurrence in hormone receptor positive (HR+) early breast cancer (EBC)" (571, Poster Board #163)
"Immune phenotype profiling based on anatomic origin of melanoma and impact on clinical outcomes of immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment" (9569, Poster Board #353)
"Artificial intelligence (AI) -powered H&E whole-slide image (WSI) analysis of tertiary lymphoid structure (TLS) to predict response to immunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)" (3135, Poster Board #280)
"Updated safety, efficacy, pharmacokinetics, and biomarkers from the phase 1 study of IMC-002, a novel anti-CD47 monoclonal antibody, in patients with advanced solid tumors" (2642, Poster Board #121)
"Relationship between immune phenotype and treatment selection of Chemo-IO vs. IO-only in TPS-high NSCLC using hypothetical test-and-control group generation based on survival data extracted from phase III trials" (e13569)

On May 24, 2024 Rakuten Medical, Inc., a global biotechnology company developing and commercializing precision, cell-targeting photoimmunotherapy based on its proprietary Alluminox platform, reported the updated safety and efficacy findings from an interim evaluation of an open-label Phase 1b/2 study (ASP-1929-181/ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04305795) of photoimmunotherapy using ASP-1929 in combination with anti-PD-1 for recurrent and/or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) (Press release, Rakuten Medical, MAY 24, 2024, View Source [SID1234643694]). The data will be presented in a poster at the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting (ASCO 2024) on June 2, 2024.

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The updated interim evaluation (data cut-off: August 31, 2023) of 19 enrolled patients in ASP-1929-181 study suggests that the novel treatment approach of ASP-1929 photoimmunotherapy in combination with anti-PD-1 showed promising early results in patients with locoregional and/or metastatic HNSCC. Median overall survival (OS) was not reached at data cut-off, with an estimated survival rate of 52.4% at 24 months, and an objective response rate (ORR) of 35.3%. Adverse events were generally manageable, and the combination therapy was generally tolerated with an absence of synergistic serious adverse events.

The encouraging early efficacy and safety outcomes warrant additional clinical studies to substantiate and reinforce these interim findings. Rakuten Medical recently completed a Type B End-of-Phase 2 (EOP2) meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the combination of ASP-1929 photoimmunotherapy and anti-PD-1 in the first-line recurrent HNSCC setting and discussed the key details for a multi-regional registrational study. Based on these results, Rakuten Medical plans to initiate this global phase 3 clinical trial with a primary endpoint of OS in the second half of 2024.

Disclaimer: These interim findings may change upon completion of follow-up and final data analysis.

Key findings

[Efficacy]

Clinically meaningful activity was observed
Median Overall Survival (OS) was not reached, with an estimated survival rate of 52.4% (95% CI: 25.9-73.4) at 24 months
The objective response rate (ORR) was 35.3% (6 patients, 95% CI: 14.2-61.7), which included 4 complete responses (CR) (23.5%, 95% CI: 6.8-49.9) and 2 partial responses (PR) (11.8%, 95% CI: 1.5-36.4)
Median time to response of 1.4 months
Median progression-free survival (PFS) was at 2.9 months (95% CI 1.4-14.6)
[Safety]

Adverse events were manageable and generally tolerated
No fatal serious adverse events (SAEs)
Two Grade 4 SAEs: laryngeal edema related to photoimmunotherapy and tumor hemorrhage unrelated to study treatment, both of which resolved
No synergistic SAEs due to ASP-1929 and anti-PD-1
Upcoming Rakuten Medical’s Poster Presentation at ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper)

Abstract Title: Recent safety and efficacy findings from a phase 1b/2 open-label combination study of ASP-1929 photoimmunotherapy with anti-PD-1 therapy in EGFR-expressing advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC)
Abstract Number: 6083
Abstract Link: View Source
Session Name: Poster Session – Head and Neck Cancer
Session Date: Sunday, June 2, 2024
Session Time: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., CDT
First Author: David M. Cognetti, Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Thomas Jefferson University, US
Location: Exhibit Hall A, Poster Board #399

On May 24, 2024 Mabwell (688062.SH), an innovation-driven biopharmaceutical company, reported data and latest progress of the Phase I/II clinical study of 9MW2821, a novel Nectin-4-targeting ADC for multiple advanced solid tumors, which will be reported as an oral presentation at the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting (Press release, Mabwell Biotech, MAY 24, 2024, View Source [SID1234643693]).

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As of April 1, 2024, among 240 patients in the 1.25 mg/kg dose group in the Phase II clinical trial:

>> Urothelial Carcinoma (UC)
Of the 37 patients evaluable for efficacy assessment, the objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) were 62.2% and 91.9%, respectively, with median progression-free survival (mPFS) was 8.8 months and median overall survival (mOS) was 14.2 months.

>> Cervical Cancer (CC)
Of the 53 patients evaluable for efficacy assessment, 51% were previously treated with platinum-based doublet chemotherapy and bevacizumab, and 58% received platinum-based doublet chemotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitor, with ORR and DCR were 35.8% and 81.1%, respectively. The mPFS was 3.9 months, with mOS not reached. Of the patients with Nectin-4 tumor cell staining intensity 3+, the ORR was 43.6% among the 39 evaluable patients.

>> Esophageal Cancer (EC)
Of the 39 patients evaluable for efficacy assessment, ORR and DCR were 23.1% and 69.2%, respectively, with mPFS of 3.9 months and mOS of 8.2 months; 37 of them were treated with platinum-based chemotherapy and immunotherapy previously.

>> Triple-negative Breast Cancer (TNBC)
Of the 20 patients with locally advanced or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer and evaluable for efficacy assessment, the ORR and DCR were 50.0% and 80.0% respectively. The mPFS was 5.9 months, and the mOS was not yet reached, with one patient achieved complete response (CR) and had been in CR for 20 months and is currently sustained to be CR.

>> Safety Profile
To date, the most common treatment-related adverse events (all grade, ≥grade 3) in the 240 patients in the 1.25 mg/kg dose group were white blood cell count decreased (50.8%, 23.3%), neutrophil count decreased (46.3%, 27.9%), anemia (43.8%, 8.3%), aspartate aminotransferase increased (42.1%, 2.9%), alanine aminotransferase increased (35.4%, 2.1%), asthenia (32.1%, 2.9%), rash (30.0%, 5.0%), decreased appetite (28.8%, 1.3%), nausea (26.7%, 0%), hyperglycemia (25.4%, 2.1%), platelet count decreased (24.2%, 4.6%), alopecia (24.2%, 0%), hypoaesthesia (22.5%, 1.7%), constipation (21.3%, 0%), vomiting (20.9%, 1.3%), hypertriglyceridemia (20.4%, 2.1%), and gamma glutamyl aminotransferase increased (15.8%, 5.4%). The data suggest that 9MW2821 has a manageable safety profile.

About 9MW2821
9MW2821 is the first site-specific conjugated novel Nectin-4-targeting ADC developed by Mabwell using ADC platform and automated high-throughput hybridoma antibody molecular discovery platform, and is the first drug candidate to enter clinical study among the Nectin-4-targeting ADCs developed by Chinese companies, and the first therapeutic drug candidate targeting Nectin-4 in the world to reveal clinical efficacy data of cervical cancer, esophageal cancer and breast cancer. 9MW2821 has been granted Fast Track Designation (FTD) and Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of advanced, recurrent, or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and esophageal cancer in Feb. 2024 and May 2024, respectively.

9MW2821 achieves site-specific modification of antibody through proprietary conjugate technology linkers and optimized ADC conjugation process. After injection, 9MW2821 can specifically bind to Nectin-4 on the cell membrane surface, be internalized and release cytotoxic drug, and induce the apoptosis of tumor cells.

On May 24, 2024 xCures, a leading-edge healthcare technology company, reported the presentation of two abstracts at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2024, to be held May 31 – June 4, at McCormick Place, Chicago, IL, USA (Press release, xCures, MAY 24, 2024, View Source [SID1234643686]).

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The two abstracts illustrate the value of xCures’ real-time healthcare data platform. The platform’s enhanced longitudinal nationwide data goes beyond traditional retrospective real-world data, allowing for analysis of electronic medical records from partnerships with sites of care nationwide. Through its platform and patient- and observation-driven real-time datasets, xCures helps partners learn from complex and multidisciplinary therapeutic approaches to provide valuable insights to improve outcomes.

"Access to real-time, longitudinal, uninterrupted clinical data offers an unparalleled capacity to extract insights from patient medical records," said Tim Stuhlmiller, Vice President of Scientific and Medical Affairs at xCures. "These abstracts showcase the importance of our partnerships and our platform’s incredible power to analyze outcomes and support evidence-based decisions, resulting in improved patient care."

In one work, xCures and their partner Genome Medical, a nationwide telehealth provider of genetic services, analyzed data from patients with germline genetic testing followed by genetic counseling, including cancer risk assessment. The platform generated structured clinical data from multiple care sites to determine the percentage of patients who underwent bilateral mastectomies after receiving genetic testing and genetic counseling from Genome Medical. This is one of the first studies to use multi-institution real-world data to assess the impact of genetic counseling and genetic testing.

Half of the patients with a genetic test result that indicated bilateral mastectomy elected to have a mastectomy done after discussing this guideline-based care option with a Genome Medical genetic counselor. As evidenced in prior research, bilateral mastectomy markedly reduces the risk of breast cancer.

"Access to longitudinal records across multiple care sites allowed us to more thoroughly assess how genetic counseling and genetic testing increase the uptake of guideline-recommended cancer prevention services," said Colleen Caleshu, Senior Director of Clinical Research at Genome Medical. "Our goal is to make genetics clinically actionable so patients can make more informed decisions about their health. By working with xCures, we are able to gain better insights into those decisions and the impact they have on the patients we serve."

In the other abstract, xCures partnered with the FibroFighters Foundation to better understand the landscape of real-world treatments for Fibrolamellar carcinoma (FLC) by tracking treatments, molecular profiling, and outcomes. This is essential for such a rare form of liver cancer without an established standard of care.

Patients with FLC undergo extensive molecular profiling with multiple novel therapeutic regimens employed in real-world practice. Raw imaging scans are being aggregated for central radiological review to measure the depth and duration of response offered by the recorded therapeutic strategies. This dataset is a rich resource for academic and government researchers to fuel research and define optimal treatment modalities. Topline statistics for the dataset are available at View Source

"xCures has done what no one else has been able to do for rare diseases, specifically for Fibrolamellar Carcinoma," said Paul Kent, MD, Medical Director of the FibroFighters Foundation. "We have the largest interactive, real-time scientific database of FLC ever collected, allowing doctors from 15 countries and 27 institutions to discuss their cases with expert FLC panelists of oncologists, surgeons, radiation oncologists, interventional radiologists, and patient advocates. xCures has driven the most important advances in clinical research for FLC ever."

Attendees of the ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting are encouraged to find Mika Newton, Max Goldstein, Tim Stuhlmiller, or Artem Petrov from xCures, who can provide in-depth insights, discuss potential collaborations, and showcase case studies from the platform’s implementation.

The abstracts presented:

Use of a nationwide, patient-powered observational platform to define the landscape of treatment, molecular profiling, and outcomes for fibrolamellar carcinoma.
Authors: Paul Kent, Alaa Awawda, Hiba Kouser, Alanis Sabates, Zachariah Cole, Mark Shapiro, Tom Stockwell, Timothy Stuhlmiller

View Source

and,

Leveraging real-world data from multiple institutions to assess the rate of bilateral mastectomy after cancer genetics evaluations with genetic counselors.
Authors: Ashley Daley, Callan Russell, Timothy Stuhlmiller, Zachary Kaufman, Jill Davies, Colleen Caleshu

View Source