On June 1, 2019 Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATRA), a leading off-the-shelf, allogeneic T-cell immunotherapy company developing novel treatments for patients with cancer, autoimmune and viral diseases, reported results showing that circulating EBV-targeted cytotoxic T lymphocyte precursors (EBV-CTLp) could serve as a biomarker of clinical response to tab-cel (tabelecleucel) in patients with EBV-driven diseases (Press release, Atara Biotherapeutics, JUN 1, 2019, View Source [SID1234536745]). Findings were presented today at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2019 in Chicago.
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Ten tab-cel-treated patients with EBV-associated diseases from a multicenter expanded access protocol (EAP) study were selected. In this cohort, ex-vivo analyses of circulating EBV-CTLp following administration of tab-cel showed a statistically significant correlation (p=0.038) with clinical response.
A second presentation described the design of an ongoing Phase 1b/2 clinical study of tab-cel in combination with pembrolizumab for patients with platinum-resistant or recurrent EBV-associated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Tab-cel has been evaluated as a single agent in previous studies where evidence of radiographic response was observed in patients with chemotherapy refractory, metastatic NPC.
Abstract 2532: Correlation of circulating EBV-targeted cytotoxic T lymphocyte precursors (EBV-CTLp) and clinical response following tabelecleucel (tab-cel) infusion in patients with EBV-driven disease
Poster Presentation Date and Time: Saturday, June 1, 2019, 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. CDT
Session Title: Developmental Immunotherapy and Tumor Immunobiology
Location: Poster Board 176, Hall A, McCormick Place, South Building, Chicago, IL
Authors: Blake T. Aftab, Daniel Munson, Kevin Rasor, Philippe Foubert, Donald Tsai, Wen Kai Weng, Armin Ghobadi, Koen van Besien, Yan Sun, Minoti Hiremath, Willis Navarro, Susan Prockop
Affiliations: Atara Biotherapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, Washington University, Cornell University, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Abstract TPS6092: Tabelecleucel in combination with pembrolizumab (Pembro) in platinum-pretreated, recurrent/metastatic Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive nasopharyngeal carcinoma (EBV+NPC)
Poster Presentation Date and Time: Saturday, June 1, 2019, 1:15 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. CDT
Session Title: Head and Neck Cancer
Location: Poster Board 79b, Hall A, McCormick Place, South Building, Chicago, IL
Authors: Lillian L. Siu, Joshua Bauml, Douglas Adkins, A. Dimitrios Colevas, Cesar Perez, Jennifer Choe, Yang Zhang, Wen Shi, Willis Navarro, Missak Haigentz Jr, Guilherme Rabinowits, David Pfister
Affiliations: Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Perelman School of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Stanford Cancer Institute, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duke University, Atara Biotherapeutics, Morristown Medical Center/Atlantic Health System, Miami Cancer Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
About EBV+ NPC
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a head and neck cancer that is primarily EBV-associated. Historical median survival rates are less than one year for patients with metastatic disease. There are no approved targeted therapies for NPC available today.