On March 1, 2021 Enlivex Therapeutics Ltd. (Nasdaq: ENLV, the "Company"), a clinical-stage macrophage reprogramming immunotherapy company targeting diseased macrophages in patients with sepsis, COVID-19 and solid tumors, and Mount Sinai Health System, one of the world’s leading academic health systems, reported a new research collaboration for the development of clinical strategies for Allocetra with checkpoint inhibitors (Press release, Enlivex Therapeutics, MAR 1, 2021, View Source [SID1234575892]). Allocetra is a macrophage-reprogramming immunotherapy product candidate currently in clinical development by Enlivex for the potential treatment of life-threatening immune-mediated diseases.
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Under the strategic collaboration agreement, the parties have agreed to develop and execute a pre-clinical program to investigate the potential synergies between Allocetra and commercially approved checkpoint inhibitor therapies for select solid cancers.
Carlos Cordon-Cardo, M.D., Ph.D., Irene Heinz Given and John LaPorte Given Professor and Chair of the Lillian and Henry M. Stratton-Hans Popper Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell-Based Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, commented, "We are impressed with the data supporting the immunotherapeutic effects of Allocetra in preclinical cancer models. The scientific rationale supporting AllocetraTM-checkpoint inhibitor combination therapies is intriguing, as preclinical studies suggest Allocetra may reverse the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironments that often hamper checkpoint inhibitors by reprogramming anti-tumor macrophages to their homeostatic state. We look forward to the further development of Allocetra-checkpoint inhibitor combination therapies through this newly formed collaboration."
A pioneer of the oncologic molecular pathology discipline, Dr. Cordon-Cardo has helped establish a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of human cancers and new targets for cancer diagnosis and therapeutics, enhancing the vision of personalized medicine. Dr. Cordon-Cardo is one of the "Highly Cited Authors" by the Institute of Scientific Information, one of the "Highly Influential Biomedical Researchers" (one of the top 400 over 15,153,100 author identifiers) by the European Society for Clinical Investigation; and one of the top "List of 500 Most Highly Cited Researchers Worldwide," Google Scholar, Citations 101,185; h-index 158; i10-index 521 (Google Scholar-2020). Dr. Cordon-Cardo is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including "Roll of Honour" of the International Union Against Cancer; Gold Medal of the Swedish Society of Physicians; Distinguished Alumnus Award, Weill-Cornell Graduate School of Medical Science, Cornell University; Fellow, Royal Society of Medicine.
Dror Mevorach, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Enlivex, commented, "We are excited to collaborate with the distinguished research and clinical teams at Mount Sinai. Allocetra may have a rebalancing effect on the typically immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, potentially by facilitating the conversion of pro-tumor macrophage populations to anti-tumor populations. Together, we plan to investigate the potential of AllocetraTM to synergistically combine with commercially available checkpoint inhibitors for the treatment of solid tumors."
Oren Hershkovitz, Ph.D., CEO of Enlivex, stated, "The researchers and clinicians at Mount Sinai are world-class and ideal partners as we work toward the realization of Allocetra’s potential. We are pleased with the decision of Mount Sinai to formulate a strategic collaboration with Enlivex for the development of Allocetra as a potentially key component of combination therapies for solid tumors."
Allocetra is currently in clinical development for acute life-threatening immune-mediated diseases such as sepsis and COVID-19. Enlivex recently reported positive top-line results in 21 patients from Phase Ib and Phase II investigator-initiated trials in COVID-19 patients in severe/critical condition. The Company has also previously reported positive results from a Phase Ib investigator-initiated trial in 10 sepsis patients and plans to initiate a controlled, randomized, Phase IIb study in sepsis during the first quarter of 2021.