On January 21, 2023 Wugen, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a pipeline of allogeneic cell therapies to treat a broad range of hematological and solid tumor malignancies, reported preclinical data on WU-NK-101, the company’s lead memory natural killer (NK) cell therapy product, in combination with cetuximab (Ctx), at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium taking place January 19-21, 2023, in San Francisco, California (Press release, Wugen, JAN 21, 2023, View Source [SID1234626433]).
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"Our best-in-class memory NK cell platform is uniquely designed to have broad applications across solid and liquid tumors," said Jan Davidson-Moncada, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer of Wugen."WU-NK-101 has a unique CIML phenotype with enhanced metabolic fitness/flexibility and decreased susceptibility to immunosuppression—key properties that in combination with these data, build our conviction in the development trajectory for WU-NK-101 as a novel treatment for solid tumor cancers. We plan to initiate a first-in-human study of WU-NK-101 in combination with cetuximab for CRC in addition to SCCHN later this year."
Today’s presentation highlighted the following:
WU-NK-101 potency against colorectal cancer (CRC) cells was further enhanced when combined with Ctx in vitro and in vivo, confirming an antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) mechanism of action. WU-NK-101 in combination with Ctx showed improved CRC cell killing compared to WU-NK-101 and Ctx monotherapy.
WU-NK-101 showed robust homing to the TME, which was further improved when combined with monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Intra-tumor penetration and persistence was also increased when combined with mAb in in vivo models.
WU-NK-101 displayed enhanced metabolic fitness/flexibility and maintained cytotoxicity within adverse, immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME)-aligned media as compared to conventional NK (cNK) and T-cells. WU-NK-101 cells maintained cytotoxicity in a 3D TME model with native cellular components from primary CRC samples.
A Phase 1b clinical trial of WU-NK-101 in combination with Ctx for advanced and/or metastatic CRC and advanced and/or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) is in development.
The details of Wugen’s presentation at ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium are as follows:
Title: WU-NK-101, an Enhanced Memory Natural Killer (NK) Cell Therapy, with Cetuximab (Ctx) for the Treatment of Advanced Colorectal Cancer (CRC).
Abstract Number: 170
Session Name: Poster Session C: Cancers of the Colon, Rectum, and Anus
Session Date and Time: Saturday, January 21, 2023 from 9:30 a.m. – 10:55 a.m. ET
Location: On Demand | Level 1, West Hall
Presenting Author: John Muth, Wugen
Additional meeting information can be found at View Source
About WU-NK-101
WU-NK-101 is a novel immunotherapy harnessing the power of memory natural killer (NK) cells to treat liquid and solid tumors. Memory NK cells are hyper-functional, long-lasting immune cells that exhibit enhanced anti-tumor activity and a cytokine-induced memory-like (CIML) phenotype. This rare cell population has a superior phenotype, proliferation capacity, and metabolic fitness that makes it better suited for cancer therapy than other NK cell therapies. Wugen is applying its proprietary MonetaTM platform to advance WU-NK-101 as a commercially scalable, off-the-shelf cell therapy for cancer. WU-NK-101 is currently in development for acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) and solid tumors.
About Wugen