On May 16, 2024 A2 Biotherapeutics, Inc. (A2 Bio), a clinical-stage cell therapy company developing first-in-class logic-gated cell therapies for solid tumors, reported dosing of the first patient in the Phase 1 clinical trial of A2B694 (Press release, A2 Biotherapeutics, MAY 16, 2024, View Source [SID1234643416]). The multi-center Phase 1 dose escalation clinical trial, EVEREST-2 (NCT06051695), will evaluate safety and determine the recommended dose of A2B694 in patients with solid tumors that express mesothelin, including ovarian, mesothelioma, pancreatic, colorectal and non-small cell lung cancer, and have lost HLA-A*02 expression.
Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:
Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing
Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!
A2B694 is the second autologous cell therapy in clinical development by A2 Bio using its proprietary Tmod platform. The Tmod platform utilizes a dual-receptor design consisting of an activator that targets tumor cells and a blocker that protects normal cells. This dual-receptor design is intended to provide selective killing of tumor tissues that express mesothelin and have lost the HLA-A*02 gene permanently. This novel design is aimed at tackling the fundamental challenge in solid tumor cancer medicines – the ability to selectively kill tumor cells and protect normal cells.
"Dosing our first patient in this trial is a key step to provide a precise, novel CAR T therapy to patients with solid tumors that express mesothelin with no curative treatment options. Sadly, current treatment options for these patients are palliative and limited by toxicity in the recurrent, unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic setting. All of us at A2 Bio would like to thank participating patients, investigators, and clinical care providers," said Dr. William Go, chief medical officer of A2 Bio.
In addition to A2B694, A2 Bio continues to advance its clinical development of A2B530 as well as other preclinical programs as the company pursues additional pipeline expansion opportunities using its proprietary Tmod platform.
About EVEREST-2
EVEREST-2 (NCT06051695) is a seamless Phase 1/2 study for A2B694, an autologous logic-gated investigational cell therapy developed from A2 Bio’s proprietary Tmod platform. The Tmod platform provides selective killing of tumor cells and protection of normal cells via a dual-receptor design consisting of an activator that targets tumor cells and a blocker that protects normal cells. A2B694 consists of an activator that targets mesothelin (MSLN) and a blocker that targets HLA-A*02. HLA-A*02 is lost in tumor cells and present in normal cells in the eligible patient population. The study is recruiting patients with lung, colorectal, pancreatic, ovarian and mesothelioma cancers.
About the Tmod Platform
A2 Bio has pioneered a precision-targeting cellular system – the Tmod mechanism – that incorporates two receptors, an activator and a blocker, to aim the powerful armaments of immune cells directly at tumors to unequivocally differentiate tumors from normal tissues. The activator recognizes antigens on tumor cells that trigger their destruction, while the blocker recognizes antigens on normal cells that protect them. This novel blocker technology enables precise, personalized and effective T cell targeting. The blocker component equips Tmod cells with the capacity to identify tumors as distinct from normal cells.