Immunocore announces dosing of first patient in the Phase 1/2 trial of IMC-R117C targeting PIWIL1 in advanced gastrointestinal cancers

On December 17, 2024 Immunocore Holdings plc (Nasdaq: IMCR) ("Immunocore" or the "Company"), a commercial-stage biotechnology company pioneering and delivering transformative immunomodulating medicines to radically improve outcomes for patients with cancer, infectious diseases and autoimmune diseases, reported that the first patient has been dosed in the Phase 1/2 trial of its novel ImmTAC candidate, IMC-R117C, targeting PIWIL1 in colorectal and other gastrointestinal cancers (Press release, Immunocore, DEC 17, 2024, View Source [SID1234649158]).

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IMC-R117C is Immunocore’s fifth ImmTAC candidate to enter the clinic. PIWIL1 is overexpressed in multiple malignancies, including colorectal cancer (CRC), and is associated with aggressive tumor growth and poor patient survival.i Despite the development and approval of novel therapeutics, there remains a significant unmet medical need in patients with these cancers, especially in advanced colorectal cancer that is refractory to or has relapsed following standard chemotherapies and targeted therapies.

The Company believes IMC-R117C is the first PIWIL1-targeted immunotherapy and estimates that there are up to 20,000 colorectal cancer patients globally that are positive for both PIWIL1 and HLA-A*02:01.

"We are proud to bring forward the first immunotherapy program to target PIWIL1, through our novel ImmTAC candidate, IMC-R117C," said Mohammed Dar, Senior Vice President, Clinical Development and Chief Medical Officer of Immunocore. "PIWIL1 is expressed across all major subsets of colorectal cancer – including microsatellite-stable CRC, which has historically been insensitive to immunotherapy."

The trial will evaluate the safety and clinical activity of IMC-R117C in HLA-A*02:01-positive patients with select advanced solid tumors. In addition to evaluating IMC-R117C as a single agent, the trial will also test combinations with standards of care.